Project Ako: The New Adventures of Supergirl!
by shanejayell
Summary: A-ko and her allies join with a new generation of heroes! FINISHED.
1. 1

The girl in the armor looked up in the sky with an expression of numb shock, watching as the ship shrank to a glittering star in the sky, then it was simply gone. "We have to go after her," she turned to say to the other girl, her long blue hair swinging behind her.  
  
"Tell me how, please," the red head said simply in reply, her school uniform torn and scorched, bearing the scars of the recent battle.  
  
The other girl turns, and tears glimmer in her eyes, "But she's in there! We have to save her!" The tears began to fall faster, and she finally broke down, sobbing, "We promised..."  
  
The school girl took her friend by the shoulders and gently said, "Even if either of us could get into orbit, we don't have a ship, or any other way to try and chase them. This time, we have to let others handle this."  
  
Slap! "I hate you, A-ko!" B-Ko cried out, tears streaking her face.  
  
  
  
Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part One  
  
"You've got to get out of here," A-ko said intensely.  
  
B-ko looked over at her disbelievingly. "What?" she asked her softly, and, "Didn't you just hear what I said?"  
  
"We just totaled the school and a good sized chunk of the city," A-ko ignored the question as she explained, "and everybody saw me! My secret is blown..."  
  
B-ko's eyes were widening a bit as she began to see her point. "But what does that have to do with me?" she asked.  
  
"Baka!" A-ko barked out. "Nobody knows for sure who's in that armor your wearing," she said to her angrily, "unless they get close enough to see your face." She turned, and by focusing her vision on the distance she could see the trucks and vans bearing the news crews were already on their way. "Get out of here!" she repeated.  
  
B-ko hesitated a moment, then she nodded. Quietly, she said, "This isn't over, A-ko." With that, she activated her flight mode and was gone.  
  
"Wish I could do that," A-ko muttered under her breath. She tensed her legs and leapt, bounding across the city to her home. She reached the little house in a few leaps, and found it empty. She had expected it, of course. Once knowledge of her powers got out, theories about her parents couldn't be far behind.  
  
A-ko held up one of her metal arm bracelets, and gently tapped a carefully memorized sequence on it. A soft shimmer of light, and she was gone.  
  
Only to reappear on the Moon. The massive structure stretched out around her as she looked about in no little awe. "The Watchtower," A-ko murmured. The final headquarters of the Justice League, it had been built as a fortress, a place to watch over the Earth and to protect it from attack from within or outside.  
  
Of course, that was before things gradually quieted down in the early twenty-first century. The heroes began to appear less and less, until finally even the originals, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, disappeared.  
  
After pulling on a change of clothes from a storage locker, a sweat- pant garbed A-ko took the route she had memorized several years ago, even though she had never been up here herself. A few wrong turns later, and she found herself in the monitor room.  
  
'Dad looks better in the costume,' A-ko found herself thinking, looking over at Superman standing in front of a bank of screens. He turned to her and smiled as he asked, "Any trouble with the trip up here?"  
  
"I'm fine," A-ko reassured him. She scowled, seeing the image of the starship leaving the solar system, then disappearing in a flash of light.  
  
"Don't worry," her mother reassured her, "we'll catch them." Wonder Woman looked the same as she always had, having shed the false attempts at aging her appearance.  
  
'I wonder how hard it was for them, playing the salaryman and his wife?' A-ko found herself thinking. "I'm going with you," she said simply.  
  
"No," Superman said quietly, "I'm sorry, but you're not ready for this."  
  
"But Dad, I promised I'd help rescue C-ko..." A-ko started.  
  
"I promise you, we'll do all we can to get her back," Wonder Woman said softly. She stepped over to A-ko's side and hugged her gently, "You're not ready, and I won't let you put yourself in grave jeopardy because of your pride."  
  
"If it was Artemis or one of the amazons who had been kidnapped," A- ko said to her intensely, "you'd insist on going along."  
  
"And if I was wise, I'd listen to my mother telling me not to go," Wonder Woman smiled down at her gently.  
  
"Besides which, with both of us gone someone needs to be here to watch over the world," Superman said.  
  
A-ko looked a bit startled at that. "I thought you had retired?" she asked.  
  
"No, just operated a lot quieter," Wonder Woman smiled. "Which reminds me, I have a gift for you," she said, and pressed a small necklace into her hands.  
  
A-ko looked at her oddly, then at the little theater mask dangling on the chain. "What's this?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Have you ever wondered why you have red hair when both of us have black?" Superman smiled. "It's thanks to that," he nodded towards the little necklace, "a charm made up by a magician friend of ours."  
  
A-ko looked at it a bit dubiously, then she cupped her hands around the little mask. A soft glow, and her hair shifted from red to deep black, flowing straight down her back. "Wow," she murmured, looking at her reflection in a window.  
  
Wonder Woman had an odd look on her face. She rummaged through a pile of clothes and passed a pair of glasses to A-ko. "Try these on," she said.  
  
A-ko slipped them on, and blinked in surprise. The glasses, plus the straight dark hair made her look almost completely different, like a whole different person. "This could work," A-ko admitted.  
  
"Now we just need to establish a new identity for you," Superman smiled. He raised his voice, "Oracle?"  
  
In front of them a three dimensional hologram of a red-headed young woman appeared. She sat in a wheelchair, and her glasses gleamed as she cradled a laptop on her knees. "I'm in the Japanese population database, and ready to go," she reported with a smile. She looked over at A-ko, "Do you have a first name you'd prefer?"  
  
A-ko was still looking in astonishment at the hologram. The question was repeated, and A-ko blushed redly, "Sorry. Uhm, maybe Laurel?"  
  
"Got it," Oracle answered, typing away. She looked up, "Last name?"  
  
Superman looked over at Wonder Woman, who nodded. "Kent," he spoke up.  
  
"Laurel Kent," Oracle smiled, "not bad." She typed away, "I'm keeping much of your personal statistics the same, and reporting the ID lost. A replacement is being FedExed to your new address now."  
  
"New address?" A-ko said blankly as the hologram disappeared. "And who is she?" she asked quietly.  
  
"We set up an alternate address in Graviton City under the Kent name," Wonder Woman explained to her with a smile. "Oracle is the artificial intelligence that runs the Watchtower, based on the persona of a former member of the JLA," she smiled.  
  
"There's something that we need to ask you," Superman said quietly. He took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you would be willing to become Supergirl."  
  
"What?" A-ko squeaked. 


	2. 2

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Two  
  
The massive limo pulled up to the little house, and the window rolled down. B-ko looked out the window at the shell of the house, and muscles in her jaw clenched. Over the last few days the house had been stripped of almost everything by people looking for souvenirs of where Superman and his family had lived.  
  
The driver kept the engine running as B-ko got out of the car and walked over to the front of the house. 'Where are they?' she found herself thinking, then, 'Where is she?'  
  
A soft chirp startled B-ko, and she pushed her sleeve up to look at her bracelet. She touched a few switches gently, and frowned. A holographic view screen was projected, and she studied the readings for a moment. "Interesting, very interesting," she murmured. "Could that be some kind of teleportation residue?" she asked herself quietly.  
  
"We're going home," B-ko said to the driver smoothly, climbing back into the Limo's back seat even as she began to consider the problem. Less than one hour later and she had finished designing the apparatus she thought she'd be needing. About two hours later, it was finally built and all ready for the smoke test.  
  
"Smoke test?" her robotic maid D-ko asked. One evening B-ko had gotten tired of talking to herself while working, so she had built it to talk with, and to assist her in her work.  
  
B-ko smiled at the blonde robot dressed in a maid's costume and holding a tray of tools for her. "Smoke test is an old engineering term," B- ko explained to her, "you turn the machine on and see if smoke comes out."  
  
The robot nodded, visibly filing the information away in her memory. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" D-ko asked her. "I mean, you don't even know if A-ko went along willingly or was kidnapped by unknown parties."  
  
B-ko grinned evily. "Come on," she waved, leading D-ko towards as blank wall. She pressed a stone, and the wall slid aside revealing a concealed room. "This is what I'm going to wear when I go after her," B-ko gestured to a newly built armor.  
  
The silvery suit looked far more formidable than any of B-ko's previous suits, a form hugging silver sheath. The boots and gloves were still the central weapons, but a backpack had been added to the design as well. Instead of the flexible clear plastics B-ko had used, a metallic alloy covered the majority of the suit.  
  
"Wow," D-ko said softly.  
  
"It's at least a full generation beyond anything I've built before," B-ko smiled, adding more quietly "I just hope it's enough."  
  
They walked back to the main room where the teleporter B-ko had built was. B-ko flipped a few switches before declaring, "Power on!"  
  
"No smoke," D-ko noted with a smile.  
  
B-ko smiled back at her. "Now on to test two," B-ko smiled. She picked up a watermelon she had thought to bring in, and with a marker drew a happy face on it. "Good-bye, Mr. Melon," she said to it cheerfully as she sat it on the pad, then hit the activation switch. The watermelon disappeared in a burst of light.  
  
"Did it work?' D-ko asked.  
  
B-ko checked her readings, "Transit appears to have been successful." She looked seriously over at D-ko, "Help me with my armor."  
  
The mesh bodysuit came on first, clinging to B-ko's body. The central body portion attached first, then B-ko slipped the gloves and boots on. D- ko lifted the back pack and nestled it on B-ko's back, then B-ko pulled her helmet on. She touched a switch on the inside with the mask with her chin, and a charge ran through the different components, bonding the entire suit together.  
  
"Shouldn't you send me through first?" D-ko asked her quietly as they readied B-ko for the trip. "I mean, at least that way you'll know it's safe," the blonde said.  
  
B-ko looked at her in surprise. 'I didn't program her for that kind of concern,' she thought. 'Is she evolving beyond what I made her to be?' she wondered. Aloud, she answered, "The suit should protect me. It can even sustain me for periods of time in space."  
  
D-ko sighed softly, "All right." She walked over to stand behind the control panel and checked the readings, "Ready to go, here."  
  
B-ko ran a final check on her armor, then walked over to stand on the pad of the teleporter. "Activate," she said with a nod to D-ko.  
  
The android hit the switches, and the world dissolved around B-ko.  
  
  
  
The world came back into focus for B-ko once again, and she found herself standing in a small chamber. It was obviously technologically advanced, and her suit's sensors detected a massive energy source nearby.  
  
"Cloak, on," B-ko whispered, activating her suit's new sensor cloak. No scanners would pick up her presence now, at least in theory. This was the first time she had tried it, however. She found a door and activated it, making her way out into a long hallway. Something lay on the ground by the door, and B-ko's eyes widened in alarm.  
  
Carefully, B-ko picked up the ragged scraps of cloth, recognizing it as what was left of A-ko's school uniform. 'She was here,' she thought, 'but is she still here now?' A-ko normally didn't take to captivity very well at all, so B-ko would have thought the place would be a wreck in short order. But there were no signs of a struggle.  
  
B-ko set her sensors to pick up A-ko's bio-signature, and got a lock shortly. "Flight mode," B-ko ordered softly, and jetted down the hall towards the signal. She took the turns quickly, soaring along, and finally emerged into a large room to find...  
  
A-ko sitting comfortably in front of a bank of monitor screens where, B-ko noted with some irritation, her progress had been seen every step of the way. 'Looks like it's back to the drawing board on the cloak,' she thought.  
  
"Hey, B-ko," A-ko smiled at her, "I was expecting you to get here days ago."  
  
A-ko got out of her seat and B-ko blinked at the odd clothes her red haired friend was wearing. A blue T-shirt and pants, red boots, and a familiar looking stylized red 'S' symbol on her chest. "Is that what I think it is?" B-ko found herself asking.  
  
"A compromise on the Supergirl outfit that my dad wanted me to wear," A-ko explained cheerfully, her arm bands catching the light. She walked over to where B-ko was standing, and quietly said, "It's good to see a friendly face, B-ko."  
  
"Why didn't you call me?" B-ko exclaimed, "I though you were in trouble, too!"  
  
A-ko just grinned at her, "I didn't call because I knew you were smart enough to be able to follow me up here."  
  
"Up here?" B-ko echoed.  
  
"We're on the moon," A-ko started to explain.  
  
B-ko got it in only seconds. "We're up in the JLA base, the Watchtower," she said in hushed, almost reverent tones as she looked around. She frowned suddenly, "But what are you doing up here in that outfit?"  
  
"Because my Dad and Mom want me to take up the family business while they're out looking for C-ko," A-ko sighed, a large sweatdrop appearing on the side of her head. She looked around, "Could you help me get this place back on-line? I could really use the help."  
  
B-ko's eyes glittered as she considered the challenge, "Difficult, but I could do it. I'll have to bring D-ko up to help, though."  
  
"D-ko?" A-ko echoed in surprise. "Oh," she said, "I forgot to introduce you to the other person up here. Oracle?"  
  
A hologram of a red haired young woman in a wheel chair appeared. "Hmm, is she the new Steel you were talking about?" Oracle asked A-ko.  
  
"What?!" B-ko exclaimed. 


	3. 3

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Three  
  
B-ko looked at A-ko blankly for a moment. "Steel," she said softly, "he was an armored hero, an ally of your father." She shook her head, "What makes you think I would..."  
  
"But you'd be perfect!" A-ko said cheerfully. "Why, your latest suit even looks a little like his," A-ko smiled.  
  
"A-ko," B-ko answered patiently, "when have I ever shown any heroic inclinations?" A pause, "Or any willingness to work with you?"  
  
"Where C-ko's concerned, you do," A-ko answered softly. "You see, I want to make sure that there's a world for her to come back to," she explained.  
  
B-ko scowled, "That was a low blow."  
  
A-ko merely smiled, "Yep. Did it work?"  
  
B-ko sat there silently for a moment, then with a soft sigh she said, "Yes, I'll do it."  
  
  
  
The apartment was dark and quiet, the moon rising above the city. She silently climbed out of bed, being careful not to disturb the other figure lying there. Something had woken her, but what, she wasn't quite sure.  
  
She left the bedroom and walked out to the living room. "Maybe some milk will help," she murmured, passing the patio. She suddenly froze, seeing the figure standing outside, looking out at the city lights. She reached for the phone, then she saw the symbol.  
  
A-ko turned as the black haired woman pushed the sliding door open. She smiled at her, "Good evening, Ms. Lane."  
  
Lois looked the redhead over as she said, "What are you doing standing out on my balcony?"  
  
A-ko smiled tentatively, "I just came out to warn you. I'm going to be operating publicly under the name Supergirl."  
  
"And how does that effect me?" Lois asked crossly, the neon light bringing out the gray that sprinkled her hair.  
  
"The press has always speculated about your connection to my dad," A- ko sighed, "so I bet they'll be beating down your door, looking for an interview."  
  
Lois nodded reluctantly, "You may be right." She looked out into the night for a moment before asking, "How is he?"  
  
"Happier being back in costume," A-ko admitted. She hesitated, then said, "He never stopped loving you."  
  
Lois made a face at that, "That's why he traded me in for a younger, ageless model?"  
  
"He talked to Irons, Hamilton, he even went to Luthor, and they all told him the same thing," A-ko said softly, "if you tried to bear children with him, you'd die."  
  
Lois looked at her in shock, "He knew that I wanted to..."  
  
A-ko nodded sadly. "He wouldn't let you put yourself at risk like that," she said.  
  
Lois was silent as she tried to digest that. Finally, she said the only thing she could think to say just then, "Thank you."  
  
A-ko smiled impishly, "If you ever want an interview, let me know." With that, she pressed a switch on her wristband and teleported away.  
  
Lois stood there silently a few moments, then another woman stumbled out onto the balcony sleepily. There was a bit more gray in her sandy brown hair than Lois', but she looked healthy and fit. "Who were you talking to?" she asked.  
  
"Daughter of an old friend, Maggie," Lois smiled at her lover Maggie Sawyer. She hooked her arm in the older woman's, "Let's go back to bed."  
  
  
  
B-ko looked out the classroom window, silently wishing that she was up in the Watchtower working with A-ko. It was going to be terribly boring going to classes without her being around any more.  
  
She sat up in her chair, an expression of surprise on her face. 'I actually miss having A-ko around?' she thought in horror.  
  
The teacher smiled at them sweetly from the front. "We have a new student starting with us today," she smiled, gesturing for a figure to come in from the hallway.  
  
The girl was tall, her long black hair flowing straight down her back. She wore a long sleeved school uniform, and a old fashioned style of glasses. She smiled at them pleasantly, "My name is Laurel Kent, it's very nice to meet you."  
  
B-ko looked at the girl with a frown. 'Why does she look so familiar?' she wondered.  
  
"The seats on either side of B-ko are free," the teacher smiled.  
  
B-ko saw an odd look pass the dark haired girl's face, then she walked over to B-ko. Instead of taking the window seat, she sat at the right of B-ko. "Nice to meet you," the dark haired girl said with a smile to B-ko.  
  
The morning passed in a haze of distraction, B-ko trying to determine what it was about this Laurel that bothered her so much. The familiarity was there, but she couldn't seem to place her. Lunch rolled around, and B- ko actually felt a bit relieved.  
  
At least, until Laurel walked up to her, "Could I talk to you a moment?"  
  
B-ko looked her over thoughtfully. 'I think I can deal with this,' she thought even as she said to her aloud, "Certainly."  
  
They walked together silently, reaching a secluded part of the grounds. Laurel pulled her glasses off, sighing in a completely different voice, "I don't know how my dad did that."  
  
B-ko recognized the voice immediately, "A-ko?!"  
  
Laurel smiled back, "I figured you'd catch me, so I decided just to tell you." She put her glasses back on, "So how do I look?"  
  
"Not bad," B-ko had to admit.  
  
"Good," A-ko smiled at her.  
  
B-ko felt an odd flutter in her stomach under that warm gaze, but she didn't let herself think about it. "It'll be good having you back," B-ko admitted. She looked thoughtful, "I'm going to miss our regular fights, though."  
  
Laurel smiled wryly, "Sorry, can't help you there. But come up to the Watchtower tonight, we can get a bit of sparing in."  
  
B-ko smiled back, "Sounds fun." With an odd look on her face, "Do you want us to be friends, publicly?"  
  
Laurel blinked, "I hadn't really thought about it." She smiled, "Why not friends? It would be the opposite of A-ko and B-ko's behavior."  
  
B-ko chuckled, "You've got a point." 


	4. 4

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Four  
  
A-ko grinned, running across the training arena she and B-ko had built in the heart of the Watchtower. "You couldn't hit the broadside of a barn," she taunted.  
  
B-ko gritted her teeth, "Oh, yeah?" Missiles flew from her wrist launcher, and A-ko barely leapt over them.  
  
Watching from the control room was D-ko and the Oracle program. "Do they do this sort of thing often?" Oracle asked, pushing up her holographic glasses.  
  
D-ko kept her hands in front of her face, peeking out from between her fingers. "All the time," the blonde haired android sighed. A massive explosion, and she winced, "Ouch."  
  
"Not bad," A-ko admitted, dusting the soot of her costume.  
  
Smoking slightly, B-ko nodded, "Nice deflection of my missiles."  
  
D-ko's plaintive voice came over the speakers, "Are you two done playing, yet?"  
  
"Looks like it," A-ko smiled, and B-ko nodded reluctantly.  
  
D-ko sighed in relief, and Oracle looked at the android thoughtfully. "You really worry about B-ko, don't you?" she asked.  
  
"She's my creator," D-ko shrugged a bit uncomfortably.  
  
"Of course," Oracle said gently, and disappeared.  
  
A-ko showered and changed quickly, meeting B-ko in the monitor room. News reports displayed on the screens, including coverage of their first time out in the field. Metallix, the villain Metallo's daughter, had tried to rob a bank, and the two of them had stopped her.  
  
"I still don't see how a cyborg brain could even have a daughter," B- ko complained. 'Not to mention her being made of liquid metal,' she thought.  
  
A-ko shrugged eloquently, indicating that she also had no idea. "Maggie Sawyer," she said quietly, "the chief of Metropolis Police, asked us to stop in and see her later. Do you want to get that over and done with now?"  
  
"Not a bad idea," B-ko admitted. She looked around before calling out, "D-ko, could you get the Steel armor ready for me?"  
  
"Hai!" was the cheery response. A few moment's later and D-ko was helping B-ko to pull on the cleaned and repaired suit of armor.  
  
"Thank you," B-ko smiled, turning to walk towards the transporters.  
  
D-ko blushed in pleasure, and A-ko had to smile slightly. "Hey, wait up, B-ko," she called as she ran to catch up with her.  
  
Maggie Sawyer looked up from her paperwork to see two young women materializing in front of her desk. The armored girl appeared slightly taller, her face hidden behind a tinted visor, while the redheaded Supergirl stood beside her.  
  
"Thanks for coming so soon," Maggie got up to offer them her hand.  
  
"It's an honor," B-ko smiled.  
  
"My father's told me so much about you," A-ko smiled at her cheerfully. Maggie winced slightly at that, and B-ko threw her partner a cautioning glance.  
  
"What can we do to help," B-ko smiled.  
  
Maggie relaxed a bit on hearing that. "I'm glad you want to help," she smiled. She tilted her head, "We no longer have a Special Crimes Unit, so having you two around will be a great help." She paused, "Is there a way we can contact you, in an emergency?"  
  
A-ko suddenly had visions of a Supergirl signal, and had to forcibly reign in her imagination. "I think we can work something out," she stalled for time, looking over at B-ko.  
  
B-ko calmly drew a small square device out of her armor, "This is a signaling device, useful for both voice and text inputs." She smiled at A- ko's surprised look and smugly said, "Some of us come prepared."  
  
Maggie had to hide a smile at their interplay. 'They really are young people,' she thought. "This will do nicely," she smiled.  
  
"Call for emergencies only, please," A-ko said as nicely as possible.  
  
"I understand," Maggie nodded.  
  
The older man frowned, gazing into the view screen at the news reports coming in from Metropolis. "Well," he sighed, "it's nice to see some of the younger generation in costume." He pressed a few switches on his control panel.  
  
The Oracle hologram materialized, and she smiled at him, "Bruce!"  
  
Bruce Wayne nodded, the exoframe he wore helping him rise from the chair and bow. "It's good to see you, Oracle," he smiled. The steely gray haired man still looked good, even with the effects of age weighing him down a bit.  
  
She saw the monitor screens behind him and smiled, "I see you already know about the new guests in the Watchtower."  
  
A smiling Bruce nodded, "Though Clark should have asked us, first." The grumbling was good natured, though.  
  
Oracle hesitated, "How is the real Barbara doing?"  
  
"Settled down with Dinah, finally," Bruce shrugged.  
  
"I'm glad," Oracle said with a sad smile.  
  
"I'm sorry," Bruce said softly. "I shouldn't have suggested recording your persona into the Watchtower computers when you retired," he sighed.  
  
"Don't take too much on yourself, Bruce," Oracle chided him gently, "I did go along with all of it quite willingly."  
  
He nodded, but didn't look convinced.  
  
Oracle flickered, and she smiled, "Duty calls."  
  
Bruce released the link to the Watchtower mainframe, and Oracle disappeared....  
  
...only to reappear in the Watchtower command center. D-ko sighed in relief. She frowned, "What happened? I called for you and you didn't respond."  
  
"Visiting an old friend," Oracle shrugged. She looked around, "Supergirl and Steel aren't back yet, are they?"  
  
"I called for you because there's a message in something called the DS buffer," D-ko reported. Inquisitively she asked, "What's a DS buffer?"  
  
"Deep Space," Oracle noted, even as she checked the automated system, "It's a message from Superman and Wonder Woman." She used an uplink to B- ko's armor to let them know, and a few moments later both young ladies were back at the Watchtower.  
  
Superman and Wonder Woman appeared together, their expressions serious but not grim. "Not much yet to report," Superman said, "we've contacted the Green Lantern Corps, as well as the Darkstars and L.E.G.I.O.N. organizations, but so far we've turned up nothing."  
  
Wonder Woman spoke up, "There's a few other leads, however, that we've come across. Apparently a disease has struck the people of Almerac, killing their men. If that's so, it might explain the kidnapping as an attempt to acquire DNA for cloning."  
  
"We can't talk for long," Superman smiled, "but I know you're doing well, A-ko. You're your mother's daughter, of that I'm sure."  
  
Wonder Woman blushed, punching gently at Superman's arm. "Be well, daughter," she smiled, "you and B-ko. B-ko, watch out for her, please." With that, the message ended.  
  
B-ko looked over at A-ko in honest surprise, "Did you tell your mother you were going to try to recruit me?"  
  
"No," A-ko shook her head with a smile and laugh. "I guess my mother knows me pretty well," she sighed softly.  
  
B-ko smiled sadly, "You're lucky to have her." With that, she walked away.  
  
A-ko blinked in surprise, then she winced visibly. 'I completely forgot she doesn't have a mother around,' she thought mournfully. 


	5. 5

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Five  
  
A-ko and B-ko looked up in awe at the silver skinned figure floating above the ruptured reactor core, soaking up the spilling radiation like a living sponge. "If you could shut down the core, I'd appreciate it," Captain Atom smiled down at them.  
  
"Right," B-ko leapt into action, using her suit to interface with the control panel, overriding the regular systems to speed up the shutdown.  
  
A-ko lifted the damaged sections of casing back into place, then decided to try a new trick she had been working on. She focused her concentration, gazed intently at the alloy, and it began to melt together, resealing the outer wall.  
  
Once she was finished, A-ko rubbed at her eyes, "That still gives me a headache."  
  
"Thank you for your help," the silver skinned man smiled. Captain Atom's eyes glowed golden, his silvery skin reflecting the artificial light.  
  
"So," B-ko asked curiously, "are you the second or third Captain Atom?"  
  
"Steel!" A-ko chided her.  
  
"Still the first, actually," Captain Atom smiled ruefully.  
  
"What?" B-ko looked at him in surprise.  
  
"The alien alloy making up my skin slows my aging process," the Captain shrugged. He waved cheerfully, "See you around." He flew off, leaving a burst of energy in his wake.  
  
"Wow," A-ko said softly, and B-ko nodded her agreement.  
  
Many of the world's heroes had begun to reapear in public after Supergirl's and Steel's debut, but along with them a old problem had also returned. All the supervillains were also coming back, and with a vengence!  
  
"So who cracked the reactor open?" Oracle asked them curiously after the pair teleported back up to the Watchtower.  
  
"He called himself Tokomak," B-ko sighed, "and I swear he single handedly gave battle armor a bad name."  
  
"Do you want me to help you remove your armor?" D-ko asked. The blonde robot almost always stayed up in the Watchtower now, if only to keep Oracle company.  
  
"I'll leave it on for now," B-ko said, "but thanks." D-ko blushed, smiling.  
  
'Interesting,' A-ko thought, 'very interesting.' Aloud, she reported, "And he was so badly overweight it was rediculous."  
  
"Didn't help that he kept yelling for Firestorm to have a rematch with him," B-ko made a face. "Still, we handled him nicely," she reported.  
  
"But it could have gone the other way," a cool voice noted.  
  
They all turned, scanning the room for whomever had spoken. "My sensors didn't detect any intruders," Oracle started, a fierce expression on her face.  
  
He stepped out of the shadows, a long black cape fluttering around him. A black mask hid his eyes, and a blue bodysuit fit him snugly. "Hello Oracle," he smiled, "it's been a while."  
  
"Who are you," B-ko leveled her arm cannon at him, "and what are you doing here?"  
  
He looked at her calmly. "Point that elsewhere, or I'll take it away from you," he said, no threat in his voice, just a simple statement of fact.  
  
D-ko spoke up even as B-ko lowered her arm cannon, "You'll have to go through me first."  
  
"He's a friend," Oracle cautioned the two.  
  
"Nightwing," A-ko said softly, studying him intensely.  
  
"Very good," Nightwing gave her a nod. He reached up, pulling his mask away, and gave them a smile, "My name's Tim Drake, nice to meet you."  
  
"What did you mean, it could have gone the other way?" B-ko demanded.  
  
"B-ko," Tim smiled, "you two make a good team. But despite your talents, there are crisis that only a team can handle."  
  
"How did you know who I am?" B-ko demanded.  
  
"Because it's my business to know," Tim shrugged.  
  
"Are you suggesting we reform the Justice League?" A-ko asked. She paused, "And are you interested in being a member?"  
  
Tim surprised them with a soft laugh, "Sorry, I'm a bit old for that." He drew a disk from his costume, smoothly tossing it to B-ko. "There's information on all the active superhuman's I'm aware of on there," he smiled, "plently of recruitment possibilities."  
  
Before they could ask him anything more, he turned, walked a short way and was simply gone. B-ko ran forward, looking around wildly, "How on Earth?"  
  
Oracle frowned, "Batman used to do that, too." She went as still as a statue, her hologram fading as she devoted computer power to another problem. Suddenly, her hologram firmed up and she began to swear, vigorously.  
  
"What?" A-ko asked her worriedly.  
  
"He hacked the teleporters," Oracle growled. "I'm setting up new firewalls," she reported, "but I'm not sure if they'll keep him out."  
  
"Is he that good of a hacker?" D-ko asked worriedly. Anybody that good was a major concern, in her eyes.  
  
"He was almost as good as I was in the old days," Oracle admitted.  
  
"Do you trust him?" B-ko asked her quietly.  
  
Oracle nodded, "At one time, I'd have trusted him with my life."  
  
"Good enough for me," A-ko nodded. She looked out one of the windows at the Moon's surface, "What do you think of his idea?"  
  
"I don't like him much," B-ko admitted, "but it's not a bad idea."  
  
"Oracle?" A-ko asked.  
  
"Hey, I'm a former JLAer," Oracle shrugged, "I'm sort of automatically for it."  
  
"I guess so," A-ko laughed softly. She paused, "D-ko?"  
  
"Me?" the robot asked, surprised. She hesitated, "I think... it's a good idea. It improves your odds for success,"  
  
"Looks like we're all in agreement," A-ko said with a grin. 


	6. 6

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Six  
  
Bruce Wayne stepped out of the elevator and sighed to himself softly. "You know that you're allowed in the cave, Helena. So why do you keep insisting on sneaking in?" he asked as he walked to the young woman lounging in his chair.  
  
"The challenge, I guess," the black haired girl shrugged. Helena was a bit dusty, especially around her knees and elbows.  
  
"How did you break in this time?" Bruce asked her with a sigh. The monitors in front of them were showing images of the new Supergirl and Steel in action, as well as a few other heroes who had recently returned to action.  
  
"I used the caves that opened up after the Cataclysm," she shrugged, "you haven't been able to seal up all of them."  
  
"I thought the remaining ones were too small," Bruce looked over at her thoughtfully, "I guess I was wrong."  
  
"Keep trying, Gramps," Helena Wayne grinned. "What do you think of them?" she asked, waving at the monitors.  
  
"Not enough discipline," he noted, "but they do have potential."  
  
"Potential, right," she smiled. Helena took a breath, "Would you object to my becoming involved with them?"  
  
Bruce raised his eyebrow, appearing mildly surprised at his notoriously independent granddaughter, "I absolutely forbid it."  
  
"What?" Helena looked surprised. "And why not?" she demanded.  
  
"You're still far too inexperienced," Bruce said to her levelly, "and I doubt you could handle the responsibility."  
  
"You're wrong," Helena scowled, "and you know it!" She picked up a black and purple costume from the floor, declaring, "I've been operating as Kestrel for over two years, now. When are you going to start treating me like an adult?"  
  
"When you start acting like one," Bruce answered calmly.  
  
Helena growled something incoherent, and turned to stride to the elevator. The door slid open then shut right behind her, cutting off her fierce glare. The elevator rose silently, while Bruce settled down into his chair.  
  
"That was a fairly blatant use of reverse psychology," Oracle noted, her holographic image materializing beside him.  
  
"Maybe," Bruce actually smiled up at her impishly, "but with Helena it's one of the few things that usually works."  
  
"I remember," Oracle smiled slightly.  
  
Bruce actually looked a bit uncomfortable, "I don't think I ever thanked you, for helping raise her after her father died." His eyes darkened with remembered pain, "My son..."  
  
"You should really be thanking Barbara and Dinah," Oracle reminded him gently. She flickered a moment, "Sorry, duty calls." With that, she was gone.  
  
Elsewhere in the city, later that day, Helena paced the small apartment while waving her hands in the air, "I can't believe that man!" She had changed to a black T-shirt and jeans, and made quite the striking figure.  
  
Dinah Lance and her wife, Barbara Gordon-Lance watched her with a parent's fondness. Dinah's blonde hair was lightly touched with gray, but other than that she was young and vigorous due to a bath in the life- extending Lazarus Pit.  
  
Barbara's fiery red hair flowed over her shoulders as she carefully walked across the room carrying a tray of coffee. The metallic braces on her legs allowed the formerly crippled woman to walk, a gift of Wayne enterprises and Bruce himself.  
  
"Trust me, I know how irritating your grandfather can be," Dinah grinned. "So what did he do this time?"  
  
"Said I was too immature to try to hook up with Supergirl and Steel," Helena scowled.  
  
"Don't make that face too long, it might stay that way," Barbara set the cups down, sitting down to snuggle with Dinah.  
  
Helena blinked in surprise, then laughed softly, "Thanks, Mom." She flopped down in the chair opposite, "So what do you think?"  
  
"You can do this," Barbara nodded firmly. She was almost as youthful as Dinah, due to an emergency blood transfusion Dinah had given her. Somehow, the effects of the Lazarus Pit had been shared between them both.  
  
"You are as good as I ever was," Dinah agreed, "maybe better." She shook her head, "I just don't understand the man's problem."  
  
"I think I do," Barbara sighed.  
  
"What?" Helena sat up, looking at her curiously.  
  
"Back when I started out as Batgirl, it took a lot of doing to prove myself to Batman," Barbara explained, "and I think it was because, as heroic as Bruce is, he has an old fashioned view of women. Ladies should be protected, not out doing the fighting."  
  
"Well, I'm not going to get a sex change," Helena scowled,  
  
Dinah nearly choked on her coffee on that, and Barbara snickered. "Don't do that, you'll disappoint all the girl's who haven't gone out with you yet," Dinah grinned.  
  
"That's the truth," Barbara agreed. She leaned forward, "But if you really want to do this, then go for it. Bruce will approve or not, but don't let that influence your decision."  
  
"I do want to," Helena nodded. She frowned, "Now how do I get up there? Could always sneak in..."  
  
"I think there might be a better way," Dinah said, looking thoughtfully at Barbara.  
  
Barbara nodded thoughtfully, "Help me up." With Dinah's aide she got up out of the couch, then walked over to the antique computer system she had set up in the corner of the living room.  
  
"You don't mean to hack them with that piece of junk?" Helena exclaimed.  
  
"Watch your tongue, junior," and Barbara's tone was actually scolding as she added, "this was state of the art in it's day." She typed furiously, activating subsystems until she was asked for a password. She typed it in, blushing faintly, 'Babs loves Dinah.'  
  
"Aww," Dinah smiled.  
  
A soft hum, and a three dimensional hologram appeared in their midst, looking like a younger version of Barbara herself. "Oracle access granted," Oracle declared. She looked around thoughtfully, "Hello Barbara, Dinah." She took a moment, "Helena! You've grown since I last saw you."  
  
Helena gaped at her in surprise, and Dinah looked at the hologram thoughtfully. "Hello, Oracle," she said quietly.  
  
"Dinah," Oracle nodded, a deep emotion flickering in her eyes.  
  
"Hello, Oracle. Helena is interested in joining this new Justice League you and the others are forming," Barbara smiled.  
  
Oracle chuckled softly, "Supergirl and Steel were looking into contacting her, actually." She looked at Helena thoughtfully, "Do you have your costume?"  
  
Helena picked up her backpack from beside her chair, "Now I do."  
  
"Step near me," Oracle said. As Helena did Oracle declared, "Transmitting coordinates," and they both simply disappeared. 


	7. 7

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Seven  
  
Helena Wayne and Oracle appeared together, the dark haired young woman looking around her in awe. A view port nearby showed the airless surface of the moon, the stars twinkling off in the distance. "Incredible," she murmured softly.  
  
"Welcome to the Watchtower," Oracle smiled up at Helena from her holographic wheelchair. "Shall we go look for your new teammates?" she asked.  
  
"I think I should be dressed appropriately first," Helena grinned.  
  
Helena pulled the black bundle of cloth from her backpack and stripped herself efficiently down to only her bra and panties. The tight black pants went on first, then the black top with a purple bird emblem right over her breasts. The purple belt, gloves and boots were pulled on swiftly, then the black mask and cape settled on her shoulders.  
  
"Let's go," Kestrel smiled at Oracle after she had packed her regular clothes into the backpack she had carried and stowed it away in a nearby locker.  
  
Oracle looked up at her thoughtfully as they moved through the corridors, "May I ask why you chose the name Kestrel?"  
  
"Just wanted to be another Bird of Prey," Kestrel smiled down at her, "I thought I should choose a name in tribute to my two moms."  
  
Oracle nodded thoughtfully, "That's what I thought." The hologram flickered a moment as her attention shifted away for a moment, "It looks like they're having fun blowing stuff up in the training room again."  
  
The two kept talking as they walked together, soon coming up to a blonde young woman looking through a view port rather worriedly. D-ko looked up upon hearing their aproach and her eyes widened before she cried out, "Intruder!" She pointed her bare arms at Kestrel and suddenly a series of weapons popped out of her arms, laser beams targeting Kestrel.  
  
The black clad woman coiled her slim body, getting ready to move at a moment's notice, but before she could take any action Oracle quickly came into D-ko's line of sight to shout, "Don't shoot, she's a friend!"  
  
"Oh, sorry," and D-ko popped the weapons away.  
  
Oracle sighed softly, "Kestrel, meet D-ko."  
  
You could see the eyebrow being raised even under the mask as Kestrel echoed, "D-ko?" She tentatively offered her gloved hand and the blonde girl smiled and shook it vigerously.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Kestrel," D-ko said sweetly.  
  
There was the muffled sound of an explosion, and Kestrel whirled around, looking about her cautiously, "What was that?"  
  
Oracle calmly gestured her over to the view port, "Take a look." D-ko and Kestrel joined her there, looking inside at the two combatants.  
  
The tall redhead just wore a T-shirt and shorts, silver bracers gleaming on each arm. She burst with vitality, her eyes sparking with energy and a impish grin on her face. A near hit had left her clothes smoking, but she looked like she was having a great time.  
  
The blue haired girl chased after her, her silvery bathing suit glittering. Her wristband cannons shot streams of bullet fire and energy bolts at her opponent, both of them maneuvering around the large chamber as they looked for any advantage. An exultant grin lit up fer face, a bit of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.  
  
Kestrel looked over at D-ko and Oracle, "Are they trying to kill each other?"  
  
"Nah, they do this all the time," D-ko shrugged.  
  
"And nobody's died yet," Oracle smiled wryly. She projected her voice into the chamber, "A-ko, B-ko, we've got company."  
  
"A-ko? B-ko? That explains D-ko, I guess," Kestrel sighed.  
  
Not long afterward all five of them had gathered in the primary meeting room to talk. They sat around the round table, the JLA shield prominently displayed at the center. There had been some hesitation with the symbol marked seats, but A-ko soon picked the chair marked with Superman's shield, B-ko took Steel's, and Kestrel sat down on Batman's. Just above the table, the holographic Oracle mask floated, waiting for questions or comments.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Kestrel," A-ko said. She had changed to her Supergirl costume, her experession much more serious than before.  
  
"We were planning to contact you," B-ko smiled, her helmet sitting by her chair, "but I guess Oracle was a step ahead of us." A small band aid rested on the corner of her mouth, placed there with loving care by D-ko.  
  
"She usually is," Kestrel laughed. She reached up to pull her hood back, her vshort dark hair falling gently into her eyes as she said, "My real name's Helena Wayne. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."  
  
"You already know ours," A-ko grinned, then she grasped her necklace and concentrated. Her hair darkened and straightened, "But I'm also known as Laurel Kent."  
  
Oracle spoke up suddenly, "We've recieved a message from Maggie Sawyer."  
  
"What is it?" B-ko sat up straight even as her helmet clicked into place.  
  
A image of Maggie Sawyer appeared, "A being has appeared in the middle of Metropolis demanding that Superman face him and restore his honor."  
  
"Name?" A-ko asked.  
  
"Sounded like Kalibak," Maggie answered.  
  
Her mask back on Kestrel said, "We'll be there as soon as we can."  
  
"Oracle, give us a briefing," B-ko said as she led the charge to the teleporters,  
  
"A son of the New God Darkseid," Oracle reported, "physically very powerful, but not very inteligent. Fought Superman several times, both alone and with the help of his father's forces."  
  
They climbed into the teleport tubes even as A-ko said to Oracle, "Get us as near to the action as you possibly can."  
  
The Watchtower disapeared, and a rooftop materialized around them.  
  
"Steel, give Kestrel a lift," A-ko said, fully in her Supergirl mode, "I'll get there on my own." With that, she began bounding from roof to roof, right towards the fire and noise in the distance.  
  
Steel snagged Kestrel's arm and they were off, flying right behind Supergirl. They passed over a taller building and saw the brutish figure, muscles bulging under his armor breastplate. Hair sprouted all over him, and his face was misshapen and ugly. Behind him, a sort of hole in space gaped open, and insect-like green armored figures emerged.  
  
Oracle's voice camew over B-ko's radio, "That's Kalibak, all right. Those things behind him are parademons, troopers from Darkseid's forces." A pause, "D-ko is coming down."  
  
"Supergirl, Kalibak's yours," Kestrel said grimly, "Steel and I will keep the parademons off your back."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Steel agreed, and they charged forward.  
  
"Where is Superman?!" Kalibak roared.  
  
Supergirl dodged his first clumsy blow, rocking his head back with a roundhouse blow, "Sorry, he's busy at the moment. Will I do?"  
  
An enraged bellow was the only answer Kalibak gave.  
  
To be continued! 


	8. 8

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Eight  
  
Supergirl had a wild grin on her face as she traded blows with Kalibak. He was both bigger and a lot uglier than her, but A-ko had soon figured out that she was at least his match in strength. The problem was, she didn't have that much of an edge against him. 'Which meant,' she thought grimly, 'this fight could go either way.'  
  
Kalibak roared his frustration, his blows striking Supergirl's crossed arms and causing her to skid backward several steps. He hammered at her guard, the shockwave from his blows shattering the nearby glass windows, but she continued to stand up to his strongest blows.  
  
"Who are you?" Kalibak growled, a bit of respect in his voice.  
  
With a little nod of her head A-ko said, "I'm Supergirl, the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman."  
  
"Then you will die in their place," Kalibak bellowed as he charged her, swinging at her wildly in hope of landing a blow.  
  
Supergirl blocked the punch with one arm as she stepped in close to his body, delivering a devastating punch to the belly. "Not by your hand, not today," A-ko said simply. She suddenly shifted tactics, drawing on her training on Paradise Island to out fight him.  
  
"I'm impressed," Kestrel noted as she watched the fight, even as she leapt up over one strike and then kicked a parademon in the head. Another one dropped as she head-butted him, "That was a southern cross block she used!"  
  
"Stop critiquing Supergirl's fighting technique," Steel growled, "and help me break through here!" The flying parademons kept trying to swarm her, but B-ko just electrified the outer layer of her armor to shock them off. "We've got to shut the portal they're coming through down before we're overwhelmed by weight of numbers," she said.  
  
Kestrel pulled a disk shaped device from her utility belt, pressing down on the top before tossing it into the gateway. It flew for a moment, then it exploded violently in the center. "Looks like C-4 doesn't work," she noted quite calmly even as she continued to defeat parademons, often with only a single blow.  
  
Steel burst free of her enemies and cut loose with a swarm of missiles, which also exploded harmlessly. She activated the scanners in her helmet, swiftly analyzing the results. "We can't disrupt it from this end," B-ko said.  
  
Kestrel leapt up, literally using some of the flying parademons as stepping stones to reach where Steel hovered. "Toss me into the portal," Kestrel said to her simply, "I'll try to shut it down from the other side."  
  
"That may not be necessary," Oracle's voice came through their communicators loud and clear, "D-ko has arrived."  
  
D-ko looked down at the ongoing battle with a worried expression. There were just too many enemies there for Kestrel and Steel to handle. She slid her maid's uniform off, carefully folding it up and then transporting it up to the Watchtower. It was a gift from B-ko, so she would not allow it to be damaged. She turned to walk to the other side of the building, took a running start, and then leapt right off the rooftop!  
  
As D-ko fell down she called out, "D-ko, POWER UP!" Her body suddenly blazed, immense heat swirling all around her as the artificial flesh that coated her body was swiftly burned away. When she finally hit the ground her body gleamed golden, a smooth sculpture in metal that carried the shape of a human being.  
  
Steel grabbed Kestrel's arm, lifting them both up and away from the parademons as she yelled, "We've got to get clear, now!"  
  
"Why? What's she going to do?" Kestrel sounded surprised.  
  
"Overfire mode, activate," D-ko loudly declared.  
  
The weapons mounted on her arms popped up once again, and then a cannon sprouted out of each of her shoulders. D-ko's ribs popped up and out, revealing missile racks, and along each leg more missile racks were revealed. From her eyes two red tracking beams activated, swiftly targeting the center of the horde.  
  
D-ko coldly said to the parademons, "Leave here. Now." The troopers slowed but didn't stop, and with no hesitation at all D-ko unleashed an firestorm of missiles and weapons fire at the soon rapidly retreating attack force.  
  
Kestrel whistled softly, "Remind me not to make her mad."  
  
Steel smirked, "Better living through superior firepower."  
  
"Come back here," Kalibak roared to his fleeing troops.  
  
Taking advantage of his moment of distraction Supergirl hammered him back towards the open portal. Again and again A-ko drove him backward with her fists, until he stood swaying at the very edge of the gateway. "Don't forget to write," A-ko barked, and with a final roundhouse blow slammed him into the gate.  
  
With a massive BOOM! the gateway collapsed in on itself and was gone.  
  
"Don't forget to write?" Steel echoed disbelievingly. "You couldn't have come up with something better than that old line?" she asked.  
  
"Heat of the moment," A-ko shrugged.  
  
"Don't start fighting now," Kestrel hissed at them. The news media were already gathering cameras flashing and video equipment running.  
  
A figure elbowed her way through the crowd, and the police let her through their line quickly. Maggie Sawyer made her way to their side, looking over at D-ko and Kestrel curiously. "Added some new members?" she asked.  
  
"Kestrel," she nodded.  
  
D-ko hesitated a moment, then offered, "I'm Mecha." B-ko raised her eyebrow at that, but chose to keep quiet.  
  
"Is there another problem, chief?" A-ko asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so, Supergirl," Maggie nodded. "The Lexcorp building security system has gone into some kind of lock-down mode, and it won't shut down," she said.  
  
B-ko had stiffened visibly as soon as she had heard Lexcorp, but she sounded casual as she said, "Was there anyone inside?"  
  
"Lena Luthor, the current head of the company," Maggie said, "along side some of her staff."  
  
"Have you attempted an hack of the system?" Kestrel asked.  
  
"Our expert's keyboard was fried, literally," Maggie answered dryly.  
  
"So you want us to go in and rescue them," A-ko said. She grinned, "Can do!"  
  
'You're more like your parents than even you think,' B-ko thought to herself sourly. "I'll carry Kestrel," she volunteered.  
  
Twin boosters popped up out of Mecha's back. "I'll lead," she said simply, and with a burst of thrust was up into the air.  
  
A-ko leapt after them, and the four were gone. Maggie shoved her hands in her pockets, murmuring, "Good luck." 


	9. 9

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Nine  
  
Kestrel had to smile, holding on to Steel's back as they soared across the city. "You handled yourself well against them," she said to B- ko, adding much more softly, "and you certainly fill out that uniform well."  
  
B-ko tried to see if she was being serious, but she couldn't get a good look at the woman's face. "Thank you," she managed.  
  
"I like a woman who takes charge," Kestrel mused, adding impishly "it makes for a nice change of pace."  
  
Before B-ko could even try to form a response to that, Oracle's voice came over the communicators. "The situation is as bad as Chief Sawyer said," she reported. The Lexcorp tower loomed above them, and the four of them set down in front of it.  
  
"You can't get in at all?" A-ko asked Oracle.  
  
"Oh, I can get in," Oracle said, "but the AI keeps rerouting me and hitting me with firewalls and anti-viral measures."  
  
"So we take out the AI," Kestrel said. "Once it's out, I'm sure Oracle can shut the security systems down easily."  
  
"I won't be able to contact you once you're inside the building," Oracle noted, "but D-ko can help you in there."  
  
"Mecha," D-ko corrected her.  
  
"Nice code name," Oracle noted. "If Mecha connects to the computer systems through non-essential systems, she should be able to call up schematics and other data for you."  
  
"There's also people in there," A-ko noted. "What do we want to do about them?" she asked.  
  
"We'll do it JLA style," Kestrel smiled, "we'll break into teams. Mecha, Supergirl, you go after the AI. You two are best equipped to handle it, I think. Steel and I will try to track down and civilians and get them out."  
  
B-ko loaded a single missile into her gauntlet launcher, and fired it straight up. If flew a few moments, then concealed laser cannons cut it to ribbons. "There goes the easy way," Steel shrugged. She loaded another missile, aimed it at the front doors, and blew them away.  
  
The four charged inside, Mecha quickly spotting a computer terminal. She popped an adapter cable from her hand, plugged in and began to scroll through the sub-directories. "The AI is three levels underground," she reported, "and surrounded by battledroids. The only people are on the executive level, the top floors. More battledroids are roaming the various levels."  
  
A-ko walked over to a staircase marked 'down' and pushed the door open. Supergirl nodded to Mecha, "Let's go."  
  
"A-ko?" B-ko called out, and the redhead turned to look at her. "Don't get yourself killed," Steel smiled, "I haven't beaten you yet." Supergirl gave her a cheerful wave, and was gone.  
  
Kestrel walked to the 'up' stairway, but B-ko shook her head. "So what's your plan?" Kestrel asked her.  
  
Steel walked over to the elevator shaft and blew the doors off. "Going up?" B-ko asked Kestrel with a little smile.  
  
"You've got style, I'll give you that," Kestrel grinned.  
  
B-ko helped Kestrel up on her back again, and they flew up the elevator shaft. Laser cannons popped up from the walls, but Kestrel had throwing disks ready, and whatever she missed Steel finished off. The rose swiftly, the levels flying by them.  
  
"Did you mean what you said, when we were flying here?" B-ko asked her quietly.  
  
"Of course," Kestrel smiled.  
  
"So you're a .." B-ko trailed off nervously.  
  
Kestrel laughed softly, "Yes. Didn't Oracle tell you two?"  
  
"She must have forgotten," B-ko said dryly.  
  
Far bellow them, A-ko was laughing as she charged another swarm of battledroids. Mecha winced as she watched her easily tear the robots apart, arms and legs flying by her. "Are you finished playing yet?" D-ko asked dryly.  
  
Supergirl dusted her hands off, "You know, you even sound like your creator."  
  
Deciding to just ignore that comment, Mecha stepped forward and opened up the large, electronic keyed door in front of them before A-ko could just break it down. She took a peek inside, "There's more battledroids."  
  
"Fun," Supergirl cracked her knuckles eagerly.  
  
Mecha sighed, and despite being a robot, she sweatdropped.  
  
Back upstairs, and Steel was scanning the hallway ahead of them. Kestrel looked at the pile of destroyed battledroids, shaking her head, "Who designed this security system, a psychopath?"  
  
"Lex Luthor," B-ko said coolly, "so you're probably right." A moment, "There's more droids ahead of us, and a cluster of human lifesigns."  
  
Kestrel began to pull a few larger disk shaped devices from her belt, "I'm glad to see you aren't running away from me, after what I told you."  
  
Am odd little smile tugged at B-ko's lips, "Remind me to tell you about the girl that A-ko and I've spent the last few years fighting over."  
  
"Ah," Kestrel nodded. She and Steel turned a corner and saw the cluster of battledroids. Without even thinking about it, they charged right into the middle of them. Kestrel slapped a disk on one's chest, then jumped away, "Three... two.. one!"  
  
Ka-boom! The chest plate blew right out the back of the robot's trunk, and it collapsed to the floor in a smoking heap.  
  
"Shaped charges, right?" B-ko asked her as she cut one droid down, and missile shot another right in the head.  
  
"Always be prepared," a smiling Kestrel shrugged. She punched another droid, and B-ko blinked in surprise.  
  
'She dented steel?' B-ko thought. Her moment's distraction cost her, as a battledroid hammered Steel's faceplate. The dense plastic shattered, pieces falling to the floor. She staggered backwards, and cut the droid down with a single blow.  
  
They heard the sound of a door opening, even as Kestrel quickly tried to reach the shaken B-ko's side. There was a loud buzzing noise, and a droid was cut down by a laser bolt! Then another and another one fell.  
  
They turned to see a redheaded business woman leading a group of employees down the hallway, comfortably carrying a very big gun. "Are you two all right?" Lena Luthor asked, then she froze upon seeing B-ko's exposed face.  
  
B-ko quickly scooped up the broken pieces of her faceplate and pressed them back into place. A burst of electricity, and the plastics had bonded with the rest of the helmet. "We're fine," Steel said quietly, "though I thought we were supposed to be rescuing you."  
  
"I've never been one to wait to be rescued," Lena was still looking at B-ko oddly.  
  
"More battledroids," Kestrel said calmly, tossing a pair of throwing disks into the two droids optic ports. They dropped, but more came up behind them.  
  
'Just too many of them," B-ko thought even as she lay down a wave of missile fire to keep them back. 'What are you doing down there, A-ko?" she wondered.  
  
Down in the main computer room, A-ko hammered another droid away from her. Her costume was singed, and soot smudged her face. Mecha trailed along beside her, one arm hanging limp, completely inoperative.  
  
"Where do I hit?" Supergirl asked, looking around her wildly at all the banks and consoles.  
  
"They're interlinked," Mecha scanned quickly, "hit any of them."  
  
A-ko grinned, and promptly began smashing computer banks.  
  
Upstairs, Lena brought her cannon up to fire again, when the robots slowed, then came to a sudden stop. "Looks like Supergirl made it," Kestrel casually kicked a droid's arm aside.  
  
"Indeed," Lena nodded. She looked searchingly at the helmeted Steel for a moment, then turned to her staff, "Let's get out of here."  
  
Not long afterward, and the four were preparing to leave when a hand gently rested on Steel's shoulder. B-ko turned to see who it belonged to, and Lena smiled tentatively. "Could I talk to you a moment?" she asked quietly.  
  
B-ko turned to Supergirl, Kestrel, and Mecha, "I'll meet you up on the Watchtower."  
  
Kestrel, especially, looked like she wanted to argue that, but the three of them soon had disappeared, teleported away from there. Steel and Lena walked over to what was left of the building's front doors, standing in the shade.  
  
"Is that you, Alexis?" Lena asked her quietly.  
  
"Father changed it," B-ko didn't even deny it, "I'm B-ko now."  
  
"If my father could see you now, he'd be spinning in his grave," Lena smiled wryly.  
  
Dryly, B-ko answered, "I'm so glad."  
  
"It wasn't that I didn't want to see you," Lena burst out, "but your Father made it a condition of the divorce settlement."  
  
"Maybe so," B-ko answered quietly, "but why haven't you tried to see me now that I've grown up a bit, Mom?"  
  
Lena hesitated, finally admitting, "I was afraid."  
  
B-ko looked in her Mother's eyes trying to read the sincerity there. Finally she said, "Call me, I keep my number listed." She took a few steps, and teleported away. 


	10. 10

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Ten  
  
B-ko actually felt a burst of relief as she strode into the familiar classroom and took her usual seat. She had a lot to think about, not the least of which being her meeting her mother, and the class time would give her the perfect opportunity.  
  
'I wonder if she will actually try to contact me?' B-ko thought. The woman had seemed to be honest, but that didn't necessarily mean much. Her father always seemed to be sincere, but he was one of the most practiced liars that she had ever met. 'Wonder if that's how she fell for him?' B-ko thought to herself ruefully.  
  
Laurel Kent looked over at her worriedly from the seat right beside B- ko, and she gave A-ko a reassuring little smile. The dark haired girl didn't look too comforted, and B-ko sighed to herself softly.  
A-ko had seemed to sense there was something going on with her almost as soon as they all returned to the Watchtower. But with a surprising show of tactfulness she had given B-ko her space, letting her work through whatever was wrong herself. And then there was Kestrel.  
  
Helena Wayne had taken her aside for a few moments, just before she left to return to her own duties in Gotham City. "Lena Luthor's your mother, isn't she?" Kestrel asked her point blank.  
  
"Yes," B-ko had answered her simply.  
  
"I don't really care who you mother is," and Kestrel smiled at her wryly, "I'm not too proud of my mom, either. But just don't let it effect your work up here."  
  
"It won't," B-ko said firmly.  
  
"That's good," Kestrel said softly. "Would you mind walking me to the teleporters?" she took B-ko's arm, gently tugging her along. B-ko kept her mouth shut as they walked, looking at the woman walking beside her. Quietly, Kestrel said, "I wouldn't mind showing you around Gotham some time. It's got it's charm, as crazy as it gets at times."  
  
'Is she actually asking me out?' B-ko thought wildly. "I'd like that," she answered.  
  
Kestrel gave her a relived smile, pushing back her cowl. Helena met her eyes, her dark hair falling messily, "I'll look forward to it." A gentle kiss was placed on B-ko's cheek, then she ducked into the teleporter and was gone.  
  
A slightly dazed B-ko had stumbled back down the hallway into the vast monitor room, and A-ko gave her a gentle smile. A smile that had quickly turned into a chuckle as she said, "There's something on your cheek."  
  
B-ko wiped quickly, looking down at her fingers in confusion. Lipstick. She went red.  
  
A-ko smiled, but didn't say anything. "I'm heading down to get some sleep," A-ko said, "I'll see you in class tomorrow?"  
  
"Right," B-ko managed, "you go down first, I've got to finish repairing D-ko."  
The teacher cleared her throat before calling out her name, and B-ko picked up her notebook before standing up. Having been half listening to the class drone on, she quickly found the correct passage in her book and began to read. The woman looked surprised, obviously having hoped to catch her asleep in class. She smoothly finished her reading and then sat back down, letting her thoughts carry her away once again.  
Not long after Kestrel had left, D-ko sat uncomfortably on the work bench as B-ko labored on her shoulder assembly. Some of the servos and inner wiring had been damaged by a battledroid's punch, leaving the arm hanging limp and inoperative. "I'm going to have to improve your internal armor," B-ko calmly noted, her hands buried in wiring.  
  
"Why?" D-ko asked curiously, "The damage wasn't that severe."  
  
"You intend to go out and play hero with us again?" B-ko asked her quietly, using a torch to seal the connections together.  
  
"I'd like to," D-ko admitted, "if you don't mind."  
  
"You surprised me at first," B-ko admitted, "but we're glad to have you." She tugged at a connection, making sure it was firmly attached, "I didn't really build you for extended combat. So, I'll upgrade you and add the armor in as a bonus."  
  
"Thank you," D-ko gave her a sunny smile.  
  
B-ko snapped the panels on D-ko's back closed, "Give it a try."  
  
The arm moved easily, and D-ko bowed, "Thank you very much!" A moment, "Could I go put my skin back on?"  
  
"I'm done for tonight," B-ko smiled.  
  
D-ko walked over to a device sitting in a corner of B-ko's new workshop and the golden skinned robot stepped into a large, human shaped opening. Panels slid closed around her, there was a hiss of rapidly sprayed liquid, a puff of steam, and then a much more human looking D-ko emerged. She pulled her maid's uniform back on, then turned to bow to B-ko once again before leaving to her duties around the Watchtower.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you alone," B-ko was startled by a quiet voice coming from right behind her. B-ko whirled around to find the Oracle hologram standing there, watching her with a certain amount of amusement.  
  
Puffing out a breath B-ko asked, "Is there something I can do for you?"  
  
Looking clearly nervous Oracle answered her, "Yes, there is." A pause, "B-ko, can you build me an android body?"  
  
B-ko blinked at her in surprise, "An android body?" She shook her head, "Why do you want one? I thought you were happy as Oracle."  
  
"I am! Or at least most of the time I am," Oracle answered her quietly, "but..." She sighed softly, or at least the hologram acted like she was sighing, "I miss being able to touch physical things, miss being touched. I can go anywhere there is on the world internet, but I can't do something as simple as take a walk in a park."  
  
B-ko nodded thoughtfully. "All right, I'll do it," she resolved. She looked up at Oracle curiously, "What sort of body do you want?"  
  
Oracle obviously hadn't been expecting that particular question as she blinked in confusion and said, "I'm not sure what you mean."  
  
B-ko ticked the points off on her fingers, "Do you want just a replica of your old body? A completely new body design? Or even a superhuman form?"  
  
"To be honest," Oracle admitted, "I hadn't thought quite that far."  
  
B-ko nodded, "I guess that's understandable." She looked over at Oracle thoughtfully, "I can build the android's framework and internal systems first. That'll take a week or so, and give you some time to think about it."  
  
"Thanks," Oracle smiled down at her gratefully. She paused, and a little smile appeared on her face, "So how are you and Helena getting along?" She laughed at the look on B-ko's face and disappeared from the room.  
'All in all,' a smiling B-ko thought as the class was let out for their lunch, 'it's been an interesting few days.' She made her way to Laurel, "Care to eat together?"  
  
"Thanks," Laurel smiled. The dark haired girl looked and even acted so very different from A-ko, even B-ko occasionally forgot that she was actually A-ko.  
  
B-ko opened her bento and delicately used her chopsticks to eat. She looked up to see Laurel shoveling food into her mouth quickly, and sighed. "How's your lunch?" B-ko asked wryly.  
  
"Pretty good," Laurel grinned. She looked down at her meal thoughtfully, "You want to know something weird? I even miss those poisonous lunches C-ko used to make."  
  
B-ko froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. "C-ko," she murmured softly.  
  
"What?" Laurel asked her softly.  
  
"It just occurred to me," a pale B-ko said softly, "I haven't even thought of C-ko in days. And Helena..." she trailed off.  
  
"C-ko's my friend," Laurel said softly, "and she told me enough times that it's even gotten through my thick head that she's your friend too." A wry smile, "I don't think she'd mind, B-ko."  
  
B-ko smiled slightly, "Thanks." 


	11. 11

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Twelve  
  
'It looks much the same,' he noted as he swiftly approached the Watchtower, flying through the darkness of space under his own power. The green skinned man passed ghost-like through the outer skin of the fortress easily, dropping down into one of the corridors. No alarms went off, the long hallway remaining utterly silent.  
  
'Are the security systems down?' he wondered, when he heard a soft sound coming from directly behind him. He turned around carefully, to see a petite blonde in a maid's uniform standing behind him, a very large energy weapon extended out from her arm and pointed at his head. He tried to scan her thoughts, but was completely unable to pick anything up.  
  
"Identify yourself, please," D-ko said quite calmly. She recognized him immediately, of course, but it seemed safer to make sure. A JLA membership card was drawn out, and she scanned it quickly for authenticity.  
  
J'onn J'onz, also known as the Martian Manhunter, asked her, "You're an robot of some kind, aren't you?"  
  
"Identity confirmed," D-ko passed the card back to him even as she slid the weapon back into her arm mount. "Yes, I'm a robot, as well as very sorry about that," she added with a cute little smile. "Oracle?" she looked up and said loudly.  
  
There was a shimmer, and the hologram appeared nearby. "I told you it was him," Oracle said to D-ko with a smile. She turned to him, "Hello J'onn, it's good to see you again."  
  
"Good to see you," J'onn nodded. He looked curiously at the little blonde, "And you are?"  
  
"D-ko," she smiled cheerfully. She turned to Oracle, "I'll get back to my duties." With that, she strode away quickly and almost silently.  
  
Oracle and J'onn smoothly fell into step, heading towards the central facilities of the Watchtower. "So what brings you here?" Oracle finally asked him.  
  
"I picked up this message from my home on Mars," a very serious looking J'onn held up a small silvery data-disk, "I rather doubt it was powerful enough to reach the Moon."  
  
"Superman and Wonder Woman?" Oracle asked.  
  
J'onn nodded, "They stopped at home before they felt, told me of their mission." A slight smile, "And about their daughter." They reached the monitor room and he headed to one of the consoles to slide the silvery disk into the reader.  
  
Oracle quickly scanned it, a frown on her face. Finally she said to him quietly, "I think I'd better get the others up here."  
  
"The others?" the Martian raised an eyebrow.  
  
It didn't take very long for the girls to arrive. Supergirl and Steel were first, having just gotten out of school when they received the message. A-ko smiled happily as soon as she saw him, "It's good to see you, J'onn!"  
  
"You've grown up," J'onn noted as he gave her a hug.  
  
"It's been nearly ten years," A-ko shrugged. She swiftly pulled Steel forward, "I'd like you to meet my friend B-ko."  
  
B-ko didn't seem too terribly thrown by the seven foot tall green man in front of her, offering her hand and coolly saying, "Nice to meet you."  
  
Kestrel, led in by D-ko, was the last to arrive but only by a few minutes. Oracle smiled at J'onn, "I'd like you to meet Kestrel." She quite deliberately didn't introduce the black and purple clad woman by her real name, leaving that up to Kestrel.  
  
Kestrel pushed her cowl back, ruffling her short black hair with a hand. "Helena Wayne," she shook his hand, adding, "My grandfather speaks highly of you."  
  
"I'll have to stop in, see Bruce," J'onn said, "and thank him for that."  
  
Helena looked over to Oracle and asked, "What's the situation?"  
  
"There's been a new message from Superman and Wonder Woman," Oracle said, activating a screen with a gesture.  
  
There was simply snow at first, and even when the image came up it was static filled and badly distorted. Superman looked tired, somehow, as if he hadn't gotten much rest lately. "We've visited Almerac," he said, "and what we've found was unexpected."  
  
Wonder Woman looked pained, "The planet had been utterly stripped of it's resources. Mines dig deep into the ground, and have extracted every precious fuel source or trace of organic life from the planet. It's utterly dead."  
  
Superman nodded gravely, "There's no trace remaining that the people of Almerac had ever been here." He paused, "There's a powerful spacial disruption, leaving here and moving off into space. We're going to follow it, try to see what the connection might be."  
  
"We miss you, A-ko," Wonder Woman said softly, "and I hope that you are well." A slight smile, "Be careful, you and those that are standing by you."  
  
"We'll return home as soon as we can," Superman added, before the message finally broke up completely. The screen went to static for a few moments before Oracle shut it down.  
  
J'onn had an odd look on his face once the message came to an end. "He actually sounded worried," he murmured softly.  
  
"I think you're right," Oracle quietly agreed.  
  
"So what do we do about it?" B-ko asked, looking around at the women and one man standing in the monitor room.  
  
"Start to prepare for the worst," Helena said flatly. The eyes of all the others were on her as she continued, "We were going to keep on expanding this Justice League anyway, this just gives us a bit more urgent reason."  
  
The eyes in the room turned to A-ko next, looking at her questioningly. "I think it's a good idea," A-ko admitted. "Right now if something really big hits, I don't know if we would be enough to handle it," she added.  
  
"I agree," B-ko said, and D-ko nodded in the background.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Oracle nodded, "and I have a nomination for our first new member." She looked over at the Martian Manhunter, "J'onn?"  
  
"I'd be honored," J'onn said, "if there are no objections?"  
  
"You'd be an asset," Helena smiled.  
  
"A-ko likes you," B-ko shrugged, "that's enough for now."  
  
"I don't disagree," D-ko said.  
  
"Looks like you're in," A-ko grinned at him.  
  
"This is going to be interesting," J'onn murmured, looking around at the five young women who curretly made up the Justice League. 


	12. 12

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Thirteen  
  
"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight," she said, dressed up in a familiar looking green and black uniform and holding her green power-ring to the matching power battery, "let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"  
  
"Well done, Mrs. Scott," Ganthlet said to her quietly. The last surviving original Guardian of the Universe looked just a bit uncomfortable as he added, "But are you certain that you want to use that particular version of the oath?"  
  
Kyla Scott pushed her dark green hair out of her eyes with a little smile on her face, "There's nothing wrong with that oath. The guy who wrote it maybe, but not the oath itself." She shrugged eloquently, "Beside, you told me yourself that the oath wasn't all that important, it just makes sure the timing for charging the ring works."  
  
"The kid's got you there," Guy Gardner pointed out to the Guardian with a little smile. The former Warrior looked pretty good, the muscular man's blonde buzzcut only showing a bit of gray. The years had been very kind to him, probably due to his alien heritage. The three of them stood around in the Green Lantern wing of his metahuman bar Warriors, from where his waitress Kyla had been recruited by the Guardian only weeks ago.  
  
"Indeed," Ganthlet nodded slightly. "You've completed your training on New Oa, and I feel that I'm leaving this sector in good hands," he smiled. The little blue man paused, "Are you going to be making contact with the Justice League?"  
  
"Not yet," Kyla shook her head as she used the power ring to create a simple green mask on her face as she continued, "I think I want to get a bit more experience before I do that."  
  
Ganthlet nodded to her slightly and said, "I wish you well." The blue skinned figure glowed a brighter and brighter shade of emerald green, until in a bolt of pure energy he shot right up through the roof and was gone.  
  
"That's they're version of good luck," Guy remarked to her wryly. He smiled down at Kyla and said, "But you've got what it takes, kid. I talked to my buddy Killwog, and he says you're one of his best students ever."  
  
"I'm glad," Kyla smiled. Softly, she asked him, "Do you think the Guardians are right, that there is a powerful threat coming to Earth?"  
  
"They've been wrong before," Guy admitted, "but it sure don't happen very often. It's better to be safe than sorry, I'd say."  
  
"You're probably right," Kyla nodded. She glowed green as she rose up into the air, then with a jauntly wave she was gone, passing ghostlike through the walls of the Warrior's Bar and out into the New York City night.  
  
"Good luck," Guy murmured. It couldn't have been easy for her, being the granddaughter of Alan Scott as well as being the daughter of Jade and Kyle Rayner. It was a lot to live up to, but he was sure Kyla could pull it off.  
  
Far above the Earth in the Moon based Watchtower, the Martian Manhunter was looking at the Oracle hologram oddly as they walked down a hallway together. Finally he asked her, "You mean to tell me that Kestrel appears to be after B-ko, D-ko likes B-ko too, and that A-ko and B-ko were both chasing after the same girl at the same time?"  
  
Oracle nodded thoughtfully, "That's about right."  
  
J'onn sighed softly, "I don't seem to remember there being quite so much messing around in the old League."  
  
Oracle smirked slightly, "You don't remember Flash and Green Lantern trying to get Wonder Woman's attention all the time? Or her attempts to get Superman to notice her? And do't get me started on Green Arrow!"  
  
The Martian nodded slightly, "You've got a point."  
  
With a slight shrug Oracle added, "My general attitude has been that as long as it doesn't interfere with the job, I'll leave it alone."  
  
"That seems wise," he agreed. J'onn looked over at her curiously, "Would it be all right if I moved back into my old quarters?"  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem, the Watchtower is still pretty empty," Oracle said. "B-ko and D-ko have taken over Steel's workshop and quarters, A-ko's over in her father's, and Kestrel hasn't set up a room yet," she explained.  
  
"Where were A-ko and B-ko in such a hurry to go to, anyway?" J'onn asked. The two young women had hurried off almost as soon as the vote for him to join was over, explaining that they had a appointment they had to keep.  
  
"They're going down to Metropolis to see B-ko's mother," and Oracle smiled slightly as she added, "Lena Luthor."  
  
"Luthor?" J'onn blurted.  
  
Oracle chuckled, "It's a long story..."  
  
The Watchtower's teleporter dropped the two of them off in an alley not very far from the Lexcorp headquearters. B-ko looked good in a woman's suit, while A-ko waas dressed a bit more casual in long pants and a simple blouse.  
  
"It would be a lot smarter if I went in as Laurel," A-ko fretted, "you know they're going to recognize me as Supergirl."  
  
B-ko smiled slightly, "Sorry, I'm nervous enough about this as it is. I'd really rather have you around as A-ko, if that's all right."  
  
A-ko smiled slightly, "No problem, B-ko."  
  
Lena Luthor heard a soft chime, and a moitor on her desk activated, showing two strangers entering the lobby. She sighed softly in relief, zooming in on B-ko and her friend walking inside. 'I was worried she wouldn't come,' she admitted to herself.  
  
B-ko wasn't too terribly surprised at how quickly they were waved through the security and sent up in the main elevator. If her mother was anything, it was efficient. She noticed A-ko frowning and asked her, "Is anything wrong?  
  
A-ko shook her head with a smile, "Just remembering the last time we were here."  
  
With a soft chuckle B-ko said, "According to the Daily Planet, Lexcorp gutted and then replaced the entire security system with the state of the art." With a loud ping the elevator doors opened up, and the two were confrunted by one of the battledroids! "Then again," B-ko reached for her weapons bracelet.  
  
"Behind me," A-ko growled to B-ko.  
  
The the battledroid was whipped aside, revealing it to be a cardboard cutout. A grining redheaded woman with freckles put it aside, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."  
  
Both A-ko and B-ko puffed out relieved breaths of air.  
  
"Hi," the woman offered her hand, "my name's Jessica Olsen, and I'm Mrs. Luthor's executive assistant. Come this way, she's waiting for you in her offices."  
  
"Do you do that to people often?" B-ko asked as they strode down the hallway. The girl seemed to be filled with energy, nearly bouncing along.  
  
"Once or twice," Jessica admitted. The redhead grinned, "Mrs. Luthor kicked me and the cutout right over when I tried it on her."  
  
"Tried what?" Lena stepped out into the hallway to ask.  
  
Jessica tried her best to look innocent.  
  
"She used that cutout on you didn't she?" Lena shook her head. She sighed and looked at Jessica, "You're lucky you didn't get shot or blow up."  
  
Jessica whipped out a personal organizer and in a much more business- like tone said, "I've cleared two hours in your schedule, ma'am. Did you want lunch to be delivered?"  
  
"Let's see how it goes," Lena smiled at Jessica. She looked at A-ko and B-ko and waved to her office, "After you."  
  
Nervously, B-ko reached out and took A-ko's had, who gave hers a comforting squeeze.  
  
'Interesting,' Lena noted as she folowed them in, 'very interesting.'  
  
To be cotinued... 


	13. 13

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Fifteen: The Brave and the Bold  
  
Instead of going over to her desk Lena lead them over to a meeting table set off to one side of the spacious office. On the round table some snacks had been laid out and a refreshments cart was sitting nearby them. Lena waved to the seats and said, "Sit on down, I just need to take care of a few things before I join you."  
  
B-ko took a seat, wondering if this really was such a good idea. She had been quite startled to pick up the phone and hear her mother's voice on the other end. In all honestly, she really hadn't been expecting her to call at all. They had talked awkwardly for a bit, when Lena had tentatively suggested that they talk face to face.  
  
"You all right?" A-ko asked softly, "you're awfully pale."  
  
B-ko smiled back wryly, "I'll manage."  
  
Lena finished quietly ordering her secretary to hold any but her most urgent calls while turning just slightly to watch her daughter and her friend talk, doing it as discretely as she possibly could. The two of them had a casual closeness about them, a sense of long familiarity. 'I wonder if they're lovers?' she thought.  
  
Lena walked over, "Several of my employees asked about coming up to thank you personally for saving them, but I wasn't sure if you'd like that.  
  
"Thanks," A-ko smiled up at her, "I'm still not quite used to all this."  
  
"You both seem to be handling things quite well," Lena said with a smile as she settled down in a seat by the two of them.  
  
"We're coping," B-ko said quietly. "Mother," she said, then stopped. "That's going to take some getting used to," she murmured.  
  
Lena actually chuckled softly, "Tell me about it."  
  
The tension in the room seemed to ease off a bit, both mother and daughter exchanging more relaxed smiles. B-ko tilted her head to the side, looking up at her mother curiously, "Where did you get that big laser cannon you used to help us against the battledroids?"  
  
"I just re-rigged a medical laser we were testing," Lena shrugged casually.  
  
B-ko leaned forward intently, "But I thought those were notoriously low powered?"  
  
"Swapped in additional batteries," Lena shrugged casually, "and took off the limiters."  
  
"And to prevent overheating?" B-ko asked, "That's the biggest problem I have with weapons on my battle suits."  
  
A somewhat bemused A-ko watched the two descending into pure techno- babble and just had to smile. They were so alike it was almost scary.  
  
High above the east coast cities it soared, a streak of vibrant green. Bobbing and weaving, it clearly enjoyed the newly granted power of fight. Kyla Scott laughed, the power ring lighting up the new Green Lantern's face as she streaked towards her destination.  
  
"New York to Keystone City in seconds," Kyla grinned, "this ring is so cool!"  
  
Kyla dropped down to land on a Keystone office building, gazing over the edge thoughtfully. 'No sign of her,' she thought. 'All right, assume she's patrolling the city at her usual speed, starting from the other end of town, it means she'd get here right about...'  
  
"Kyla!" a happy voice cried.  
  
'.. now.' Kyla thought, feeling her friend enveloping her in a fierce hug even as she was hugging her back happily, "Hi, Iris."  
  
"Ohwowyou'reaGreenLantern,Iknewyoucoulddoit!Butwhydidn'tyoucallmeorletmeknow Iwassowiorriedaboutyou!Stillthatsuitdoeslookgoodonyouareyougoingtocustomizei tlikeyourdad'sor," Iris West, also known as the Flash, speed talked away happily.  
  
"Woah, back up and run it again slower," Kyla laughed at her old friend.  
  
"Sorry," Iris pushed back her red cowl, revealing brown eyes and sandy hair. "I knew you would become a Green Lantern eventually," she smiled at her friend fondly.  
  
"Thanks," Kyla blushed slightly even as she used her ring to remove her mask. She looked at the costume her friend was wearing and noted, "You're not wearing your Kid Flash suit anymore. Does that mean you're..."  
  
"Flash, yeah," Iris nodded. She scowled suddenly, "I didn't hear from you in weeks! Why didn't you call me at least!"  
  
"Well, I did leave a note with my boss," Kyla said weakly.  
  
"Guy? That old pervert?! You know I don't go near him," Iris scowled.  
  
"Oh come on, just because he tried to grab your ass that one time does not necessarily make him a pervert," Kyla tried to defend her boss. An impish little smile appeared on her face, "It could just mean he has good taste."  
  
"You'd know," Iris smirked.  
  
Kyla chuckled softly. She'd come out to Iris last year, and except for the occasional good-natured tease Iris had taken it rather well. She sat down on a power ring created chair, forming one for Iris as she did so, "Any luck chasing the boys?"  
  
"Chasing the boys, ha-ha," Iris said dryly.  
  
"Unintentional, I assure you," Kyla grinned.  
  
"No dating prospects," Iris shook her head with a sigh. She frowned slightly, hearing an alarm going off. A flicker of movement, then she was back in her seat and a criminal found himself tied up with a little bow for the Keystone Police department.  
  
"Nice," Kyla gave her an admiring smile. Not really noticing her friend's blush she continued, "Any progress with your brother?"  
  
"Yeah," Iris sighed, "but all in the wrong direction. He's gone from being a slacker to being a super villain under the name Prof. Zoom."  
  
Kyla chortled softly at that, "Prof. Zoom?!"  
  
"Dumb name I know," Iris was grave as she added, "but the original Professor Zoom was a killer. He even murdered the second Flash's wife, my namesake."  
  
Kyla winced, "Open mouth, insert foot." Running her hand through her dark green hair she quietly added, "I'm sorry, Iris."  
  
"It's all right," Iris smiled back, "you wouldn't have known."  
  
"I hate to interrupt your conversation ladies," the cool voice said, "but I'd like to speak to you about a matter of some importance."  
  
Iris was on her feet with her Flash cowl back in place in a second even as Kyla leapt up, her power ring blazing, ready to go. Then both froze as they instantly recognized the figure standing there, gazing at them calmly.  
  
"Martian Manhunter," Kyla said softly.  
  
"Indeed," J'onn nodded, "I was wondering if the two of you would be willing to join us up at the Watchtower. We'd like to find out if you're interested in joining the Justice League."  
  
To be continued... 


	14. 14

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Sixteen: And then they were eight...  
  
A soft hum and a burst of light and sound, then there was a displacement of air as three figures appeared in the teleport tubes. The Martian Manhunter steped out first, then Green Lantern, while the Flash zipped around the room at high speed.  
  
"Wowthisissoneat!CouldIgoonaheadpleaseandtakealookaround,please,please?Iwont touchanythingIswear.." Flash turned to ask J'onn excitedly.  
  
"Slow down," Green Lantern grinned at her friend. The green haired woman turned to the Manhunter, "Sorry, she sometimes forgets she operates a few speeds faster than everybody else."  
  
"Sorry," Flash's blush was visible even underneath her cowl.  
  
'She reminds me of Wally West, back when I first met him,' J'onn thought. "It's all right," he smiled, "and I caught the majority of what you said. Go on ahead to the meeting room, but be careful."  
  
"Right," Flash waved and was gone, leaving traces of lightning hanging in the air.  
  
"It's been a long time sir," Green Lantern said as the walked down the corridor together. "I'm not sure if you remember me," she used her ring to remove her mask, "but I'm Kyla Scott."  
  
"Of course I remember," J'onn smiled, "you, A-ko and the others back when we in the JLA would take you all for summer camp."  
  
"That, and to train us in our powers," Kyla agreed.  
  
Cleaning up the monitor room, D-ko paused as an odd rumble could be heard. "EEP!" the blonde squeaked as a object whizzed on by her.  
  
"Excuse me." the red blur shouted back before disapearing.  
  
"Oracle!" D-ko cried, "What's going on?"  
  
In another part of the Watchtower there was a flicker in the hallway and the Oracle hologram appeared in front of them. "I've just been told there's a super speed object moving around the Watchtower," she smiled, "I take it that's Flash?"  
  
"Indeed," J'onn nodded to her, "and I'd like to introduce you to Ms. Kyla Scott, Earth's latest Green Lantern."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Kyla squeeked nervously. 'She's gorgeous,' the woman thought as she looked the redhead over, 'too bad she's a hologram.'  
  
"Nice to meet you too," Oracle smiled. She turned to J'onn, "I've heard back from Kestrel, Supergirl and Steel, they should be here momentarily."  
  
Not long before in the city of Metropolis the three of them exited the elevator into the Lexcorp tower's lobby as Lena Luthor waved both A-ko and B-ko on ahead of her. The tall redhead in the business suit said with a smile, "I'm glad you came by to visit."  
  
"So am I," B-ko admitted. A bit more quietly, "Maybe we could do it again sometime."  
  
"I'd be glad to," Lena smiled. She smiled slightly as she looked over at A-ko, "We'll try not to lapse so much into techno-babble next time."  
  
A blushing A-ko chuckled softly, "Heh, I got some good food and a nap." She shrugged, "The trip was a success to me."  
  
"So speaks the walking appetite," B-ko chuckled. She hesitated, then stepped forward to give her mother a hug, "See you later."  
  
"Soon," Lena hugged her back a bit akwardly.  
  
Both young women walked out the front doors and onto the street before they disappeared from Lena's line of sight. She stood there a moment, lost in her thoughts until her assistant literally popped up from nowhere.  
  
"How did it go?" Jessica Olsen asked cheerfully.  
  
"Pretty good," Lena admitted as Jessica passed over a personal organizer. "She's going to come over and see me again, at least."  
  
"That's not bad at all," Jessica and Lena walked over to the elevator together, "have you come out to her yet?"  
  
"I'm not quite ready to admit to my daughter that her Dad used my sexuality to blackmail me to stay away from her," Lena explained dryly.  
  
"Well, considering how close she and A-ko seem to be, she'd probably understand," Jessica offered cheerfully.  
  
"Let's hope," Lena murmured softly.  
  
Back up on the Watchtower A-ko and B-ko stepped out of the teleporter together. They stopped when they heard it start up again, and Kestrel stepped off the platform beside them.  
  
"How did seeing your mother go?" Kestrel asked, pausing while both A- ko and B-ko changed into their costumes.  
  
"Pretty well," B-ko admitted as she locked own the final semets of her Steel armor.  
  
Kestrel gave her a gentle smile, "I'm glad."  
  
"And they're so alike it's almost scary," A-ko added as she pulled her 'S' logo T-shirt on, "the tech-talk was so thick you could have cut it with a knife."  
  
"I'm planning on going down to see her again," B-ko said as she and the others set off down the hallway. Looking over at Kestrel, "Would you like to come along next time?"  
  
"I'd be honored," Kestrel pushed back her cowl with a smile. "Are you doing anything after we get the meeting finished?" Helena Wayne asked.  
  
"Some lab work is all," B-ko looked over at the dark haired young woman curiously.  
  
"Once your done would you like to go out?" Helena offered. She smiled slightly, "I still haven't had a chance to show you arround Gotham yet."  
  
"I'd like that," B-ko smiled back.  
  
As they neared the meeting room A-ko's enhanced hearing picked up the two new voices. "Sounds like GL and Flash are already here," she warned them.  
  
Helena pulled her cowl back up smoothly, as B-ko activated her visor, darkening it slightly to obscure her face. "Let's go," B-ko nodded.  
  
A-ko lead the way inside the room, smiling happily as she recognized the Green Lantern immediately, "Hi, Kyla!"  
  
"A-ko," the Flash hit her with a flying hug, "it's good to see you again!" She pulled back her hood, "It's me, Iris!"  
  
Kyla, Iris and A-ko were exchganging happy greetings as B-ko looked at the three of them oddly, "You all know each other?"  
  
"We all used to meet over the summer holidays," A-ko grinned at her, "the kids of the JLA. Our parents helped train us while we played together."  
  
"Did you meet Kestrel back then too?" B-ko asked softly.  
  
Kestrel shook her head, "Grandpa never got involved in that stuff much, other than his duties as A-ko's godfather."  
  
Strangely, B-ko felt relieved at hearing that.  
  
"If you're done with the hellos," J'onn smiled, "I'd like to get back to the reason we invited the two of you up here: to invite you into joining the Justice League."  
  
"Iris would be a good member," Kyla smiled, "but I think I'm a little too green at this, if you'll pardon the bad pun."  
  
"Don't put yourself down," Iris spoke up firmly, "they wouldn't have chosen you if you couldn't handle the job."  
  
"Even when I knew you before you became a Green Lantern," A-ko said, "you used Alan Scott's ring expertly. Trust me, you can do the job."  
  
Kestrel held up her hand, "I'm not going to push you into joining us. I didn't choose to put this costume on until I was sure I was ready." Her voice acquired a certain intensity, "But once we put these costumes on, they carry a responsibility to help the greatest number of people as possible."  
  
Kyla was nodding thoughtfully, "I guess once I put this suit on I accepted the responsibility." She smiled slightly, "All right, I'm in."  
  
"Then so am I," Iris beamed,  
  
To be continued... 


	15. 15

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Seventeen  
  
The science lab was one of the largest sections in the Watchtower, a several stories tall facility filled with technology from several different generations of the Justice League. There were pieces of Thangarian equipment provided by Hawkman, Martian artifacts, Kryptonian robotics, New Genesis technology, and more human creations as well. Some of John Henry Iron's Steel gear was enshrined in one part, Batman's security gear in another, pieces of interface equipment designed by Oracle herself, and dozens of other things.  
  
Of course, now that B-ko had moved on in, there was an increased bent towards types of mecha. Several combat suits were in various states of assembly or dismantling, while schematics covered the bottom of one wall, spilled over a desk, and then spreading out onto the floor. Along with the various armors were robots, some quite human, some not, including the machine that B-ko was showing Oracle now.  
  
"You.. finished it already?" the Oracle hologram looked at the robot in shock.  
  
"Not entirely finished," a smiling B-ko modestly corrected her, "I've just completed the core systems and started on the outer shell. We still have to customize the appearance and finish fitting it to your tastes."  
  
Oracle shook her head in admiration as she gazed at the robotic body that B-ko had built of her. Sheathed in metallic silver, it was human sized and proportioned, dangling from the ceiling via several different connecting cables. While physically appearing to be female it's features were only roughly sketched in, waiting further data before being finished off.  
  
"It's remarkable," Oracle said softly.  
  
"Want to try it out?" B-ko offered.  
  
Oracle looked at her in surprise, "I can?"  
  
"The wireless connection to the Watchtower mainframe's already been established," B-ko shrugged, "you just need to activate it."  
  
The Oracle hologram flickered, then disappeared as the processing power was diverted to the new tasks. The robot's eyes twitched, it's limbs tensing up, then a bit jerkily the head rose, looking all around her curiously.  
  
The voice was a bit rough, but it even sounded like Oracle as she said, "I can actually feel the air circulating against my skin. How did you manage that degree of sensitivity?"  
  
"By studying both the Tomorrow Woman and Amazo androids," B-ko admitted, "though I'd like to think I made some improvements on the technology." Oracle's new body staggered a bit, and the blue haired scientist reached out to grab her arm, bringing a soft gasp from her. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"It's all right," Oracle tried to smile, but the artificial face wasn't quite able to yet, "it just startled me a bit, the feeling of skin against my own."  
  
"I guess it's been a long time," B-ko mused. She smiled slightly, "Have you decided on how you want to look, yet?"  
  
"I think so," Oracle agreed. She disengaged from the robot's mind and it went limp once again. The hologram appeared then morphed slightly, taking on the appearance Barbara had possessed as a teen, "What do you think?"  
  
"Looks pretty good," B-ko agreed, circling the auburn haired young woman thoughtfully. "Just download a holo of this form onto my hard drive in here, and I should have the body ready in two or three days," she said.  
  
"Thank you," Oracle smiled at her happily.  
  
"What are teammates for?" B-ko grinned. She looked at her chronometer and visibly paled, "Oh hell, I'm late!" She bolted right out of the room, leaving Oracle looking after her curiously.  
  
A few moments later B-ko skidded to a stop in front of the teleporter tubes, where a smiling Helena Wayne waited. "Just in time," the black haired woman offered.  
  
"I'm late," B-ko bowed nervously, "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's all right," Helena smiled. She hesitated, looking down at B- ko's slightly greasy clothes, "You aren't going out like that, are you?"  
  
With a smile B-ko touched a switch on her slim silver wristband and her greasy cover-alls shimmered, then they were gone. In it's place, she now wore a stylish woman's business suit in blue. "Is this better?" B-ko asked.  
  
"How..." Helena blinked, then shook her head. "Never mind, I probably wouldn't understand the explanation anyway," she grinned. She looked over at B-ko, "A-ko, Iris and Kyla are all in the training center, sparring."  
  
"Hopefully not as roughly as A-ko and I do," B-ko smiled.  
  
"They're the kids of the JLA," Helena grinned, "of course they play nice."  
  
B-ko gave her a thoughtful look, "I rather doubt that you play nice."  
  
"Neither did Batman," Helena answered with a grin.  
  
They stepped into the teleporters together, the tubes closing around them to seal off any outside interference. There was a soft hum, a sudden sense of displacement, and the two young women reappeared on a rooftop in Gotham City.  
  
Gotham stretched out in front of them, a mass of contradictions. Buildings as old as the city itself rose up beside towers of glass and steel. Slums that were some of the worst in the country, beside fenced districts of the rich and powerful. It was a paradox, Gotham City, a place often likened to a powderkeg just about to go off.  
  
"It's... interesting," B-ko managed.  
  
Helena smiled as she admitted, "It does has it's charms, but you pretty much have to be a resident to discover them."  
  
"Then I look forward to being educated," B-ko smiled back impishly. Helena led the way to a stairway, leading down into a nice apartment building. As they went down the hallway she asked, "So where are we going?"  
  
"Just here," Helena was about to use her key when she noticed it was open. "I guess they're home," she smiled back at B-ko.  
  
'They?' B-ko wondered nervously.  
  
The blonde who came out of the kitchen was older, but looked healthy and vigorous none the less. Blue eyes twinkled as she took in Helena and B- ko and asked, "What did I tell you about bringing strange girls home with you?"  
  
"B-ko's not that strange," Helena said dryly. She turned back to B- ko, "I'd like you to meet my adopted mother, Dinah Lance-Gordon."  
  
"It's an honor to meet you," B-ko shook the offered hand, recognizing the woman from the JLA files as Black Canary.  
  
A redhead walked in after her, walking cautiously with a set of mechanical leg braces. "And this is my other adopted mother," Helena smiled, "Barbara Gordon-Lance."  
  
"It's very nice to meet you," B-ko managed nervously as she silently considered the many ways she could get back at Helena for doing this to her without any warning.  
  
Very quietly Helena whispered, "I didn't realize they'd be home."  
  
"Gee, thanks," B-ko managed to quietly answer.  
  
To be continued... 


	16. 16

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl Part Nineteen  
  
"May I say that I've been quite impressed by what I've heard of your exploits as Steel," Dinah smiled slightly, the tough older blonde looking her over coolly.  
  
"I doubt they match the adventures of the Black Canary," B-ko answered calmly, "but I hope to be able to measure up one day."  
  
Dinah met her eyes, clearly trying to intimidate the blue haired woman young who was looking back at her. After a moment she smiled a bit more naturally, "You don't scare easily."  
  
"Mom!" Helena blurted.  
  
B-ko reached over to keep Helena from getting up out of her chair. "It's all right," she smiled at the black haired woman, "I'm glad that your mothers worry enough about you to make sure your girlfriend is worthy of you."  
  
Barbara had to smile as she walked back into the living room, the braces on her legs clicking. "I think she's got you there," she said to both Dinah and Helena as she sat down a tray of filled glasses. The redhead looked over at B-ko with a impish little grin and asked, "So what sort of teammate is Helena, anyway?"  
  
B-ko looked over at Helena before smiling gently, "She's been a good one to me."  
  
Helena got up from the couch, "I hate to leave you alone to face the inquisition, but I want to get changed before we go out for our night on the town."  
  
Only joking a little B-ko said, "Hurry back, please."  
  
Barbara smiled gently at B-ko as Helena was leaving the room, "It's all right, we won't grill you too badly."  
  
"There actually was something I wanted to ask," B-ko admitted a bit uncomfortably.  
  
"Oh?" Dinah raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Helena has mentioned her mother once or twice," B-ko said quietly, "but the circumstances never seemed right to ask her." She frowned, "I suppose I could have asked Oracle, but..."  
  
"It's not that big a secret, most of the information's public knowledge," Barbara admitted. She leaned forward to quietly say, "Helena is a third generation superhero. Her mother was the daughter of Nightwing and his lover Starfire, who called herself Nightstar."  
  
"I remember hearing the name," B-ko quietly admitted, "but didn't she drop out of sight about fifteen years ago?"  
  
"Nightstar had fallen in love with Batman's illegitimate son, Ibn Al Xu'ffasch or as Bruce called him, Thomas Wayne. The boy had been raised by the League of Assassins, groomed to be the successor of Ra's al Ghul, but he rebelled once he discovered his true heritage. He and Nightstar met, and they fell in love," Dinah said grimly.  
  
B-ko had the sinking feeling that there wasn't going to be a happy ending to all this. "So what happened?" she asked.  
  
"The League decided that if they couldn't have Ibn, then no one would, so they arranged for his murder," Barbara took up the story softly. "Nightstar gave birth to Helena a few months later, but she refused to have anything to do with the child. The last I heard, she left Earth completely to be with her mother's people," she explained.  
  
"Batman and Nightwing were both mourning for their children in different ways," Dinah related quietly, "so Babs and I ended up deciding to take Helena in."  
  
"Something that I'm eternally grateful for," Helena came back in, dressed in a simple but elegant black dress that went well with her dark hair.  
  
"How much did you hear?" B-ko looked up, worried that she might see anger in the young woman's eyes.  
  
"Most of it," Helena was smiling a bit sadly. "To be honest, I'm glad you asked them about her," she admitted, "I'm usually a lot less nice talking about dear old mom."  
  
"I can't blame you for that," B-ko took her hand in her own, thinking back to her own mother's actions, "she did abandon you."  
  
Helena brought B-ko's hand to her lips, breathing in her scent before gently kissing the back. "I couldn't agree more," she tossed a look at her two adopted mothers, "though some people think I should just forgive and forget."  
  
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Barbara chided her gently, "but you should at least understand the reasons behind her actions, Helena."  
  
"I do understand why she did it," Helena said quietly, the slightest tremor in her voice, "but that doesn't make her actions any less contemptible."  
  
Not liking where this discussion was going B-ko tried to change the subject, "What happened to the League of Assassins? Because I rather doubt that the Batman or Nightwing would let them get away with doing that."  
  
Dinah smiled a cold, dangerous smile, "No one's quite sure. Batman and Nightwing dropped out of sight for a few weeks, and I think they went looking for them. I don't know what the two did, but no one's heard of the League since."  
  
Barbara's expression was rather sad as she added, "And Bruce hasn't worn the Batman uniform since then."  
  
Helena's sighed slightly, "I know all of this is interesting, but all I came for was to get changed." She smiled at her two Moms, "Would you mind if I grab B-ko and get going?"  
  
Dinah smirked, "All right, and maybe I'll grab Babs for a bit while you're gone."  
  
Barbara blushed fiercely.  
  
Helena colored a bit as she and B-ko left the comfortable little apartment. "You know, I think I like your moms," B-ko said cheerfully.  
  
"I'm glad they're the ones who raised me," Helena agreed. She shook her head, "I still can't believe she said that, though. Too much information!"  
  
"I hope I've got that king of vigor when I get older," B-ko chuckled softly.  
  
"It's got it's downside," a smirking Helena remarked as the two of them stepped into an elevator, smoothly descending to the ground floor.  
  
"Oh?" B-ko raised an eyebrow while they walked into the lobby.  
  
Quietly Helena continued, "I went out on patrol once, but it ended up being a pretty quiet night, so I went back home early." She lead the way outside, where she waved for a taxi, "Guess they thought that I was going to be gone for awhile longer, because the two of them were getting pretty busy on the living room couch when I walked in."  
  
B-ko just had to laugh softly. With a grin she asked, "So what did you do?"  
  
"I left very, very quietly," Helena chuckled, "then went out to Gotham park and hung out with Dryad a while. When I finally went home I made sure to give them plenty of warning, too."  
  
"Too bad I don't have any embarrassing parent stories," B-ko admitted as a Taxi coasted to a stop in front of them. Helena quite gentlemanly helped her in, then followed behind. "My father was more likely to be making out with a secretary at work," she admitted.  
  
Helena made a face, "Ick." She looked over at B-ko curiously, "So what was it like meeting with your mother?"  
  
"Odd," B-ko admitted as they sat back in the seat to talk.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Authors Notes: Nightstar, as well as Ibn Al Xu'ffasch were introduced in the comic series Kingdom Come. Ibn's mother was Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, who put the child up for adoption after she had a romantic moment with Batman. Bruce believed that she had miscarried, a fact that Talia let him believe. 


	17. 17

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045 Part Twenty-One  
  
"Laurel," B-ko murmured her greeting as she got out of her limo, smiling at her dark haired friend waiting by the gate.  
  
"B-ko," Laurel Kent smiled back as they fell into step moving towards the school. Laurel looked over at her with a slight smile, "So how was your date with Helena?"  
  
B-ko's cheeks went faintly red. "She showed me her town," she said softly, "and I got to meet her parents."  
  
"Oh ho!" Laurel smiled, "That had to have been interesting."  
  
"Actually, I rather liked Dinah and Barbara" B-ko admitted.  
  
Laurel raised her eyebrows, "Well, well. Helena has two Momnmies?"  
  
B-ko gave her a dirty look, but didn't answer. "So how did your reunion with Iris and Kyla go?" she asked curiously.  
  
They went into the building together, exchanging respectful nods to the passing students. The matching school girl's uniforms the girl's wore helped them blend, even with the business suit variation that B-ko had special permision to wear.  
  
Laurel slung her bag over her shoulder, "Pretty good, I think. We still have a lot in common, and they haven't changed all that much."  
  
"Any surprises?" B-ko asked curiously as they finally reached their homeroom, settling down into their usual seats.  
  
"Kyla likes girls," Laurel shrugged, "and Iris is still into boys. Too bad, the crush Kyla had on Iris when they were little girls was so cute."  
  
B-ko frowned thoughtfully, "Poor Kyla."  
  
The teacher came in, bringing the class to attention. Both young women focused their eyes to the front, putting the conversation on hold for now. She beamed at them happily, "We have a new exchange student joining us today, everyone."  
  
The door to the hallway slid open, and a blonde haired young woman can inside. She was good looking, her eyes scanning the crowd. She spotted B-ko and Laurel, a slight smile teasing her lips as she stepped up beside the teacher.  
  
"This is D-ko R. Jones," the teacher smiled cheerfully, "and she just transfered here from America. Everyone, please be kind to her."  
  
'D-ko?' B-ko thought, gazing at her robot maid in pure shock, 'What is she doing here?' From the look on Laurel's face, she probably was thinking much the same thing.  
  
"Very nice to meet you," D-ko beamed, bowing to the class.  
  
Over in the principal's office, the headmistress of the school was looking at the man who was standing in her office in disbelief. Her wore a long brown trenchcoat, a gray business suit beneath it, and an old style fedora was on his head. He looked like a private investigator from years ago, stepped right off of a movie screen.  
  
"Mr..." she looked down at the papers, "Jones?"  
  
"John Jones," the disguised Martian Manhunter agreed with a slight smile.  
  
"I was rather surprised by how suddenly you had to transfer your daughter to our school," she browsed through the paperwork, "but everything seems to be in order."  
  
'Thank you, Oracle,' John thought, keeping his face entirely deadpan. "If there's no problems, I have to go to work," he said crisply.  
  
"No problem," the woman agreed a bit glumly. She perked up, "Will your wife be stopping by here as well?"  
  
John paused, "I'll try to arrange it. What time would you like her to stop by?"  
  
"Could she come by, maybe pick your daughter up after class?" she asked.  
  
John nodded, "Of course." As he left he thought to himself, 'D-ko, you are really going to owe me for this one.'  
  
It wasn't until lunch hour that B-ko and Laurel were able to pull D- ko aside and talk to her privately. It seemed that many of the boys and not a few girls were interested in getting to know the pretty little blonde better.  
  
"All right," B-ko said as the three of them sat down on the grass, under the shade of a tree with their bento boxes, "what's going on?"  
  
"It wasn't my idea," D-ko protested as she pulled open her bento, snapping her chopsticks apart and scooping up some rice.  
  
"Oh, really?" Laurel gave her a look.  
  
"Well, it wasn't entirely my idea," D-ko admitted. "Oracle and the Martian Manhunter were the ones who came up with this."  
  
"I should have guessed," B-ko muttered softly. She looked over at B- ko thoughtfully, "But I don't quite see why."  
  
"To protect you two," D-ko answered simply.  
  
"I don't need protecting," Laurel quickly protested, forgetting her role for a moment and sounding just like A-ko would.  
  
B-ko pushed her sleeve back, revealing the high-tech wristband she wore. "And I can teleport a light suit of armor to me in a moment," she said coolly.  
  
"And if an electromagnetic pulse fried the teleporter?" D-ko asked softly. She gave Laurel a look, "Or if they have kryptonite based weapons?" She smiled, "You designed me well, B-ko. I could get you both out before the situation got worse."  
  
B-ko met her creation's eyes, those blue eyes she had modelked, maybe unconsciously, on C-ko's. "You might have a point," she admitted.  
  
Laurel didn't seem to want to agree, so instead she changed the subject. "How did you manage to get in here, anyway?" she asked.  
  
"Oracle manufactured the records I'd need," D-ko explained, "and J'onn posed as my dad."  
  
"That had to have been interesting," B-ko sweatdropped slightly, watching Laurel scarfing her food down.  
  
"I wonder what they'll do when they ask to see your mother?" Laurel asked impishly.  
  
"I assume J'onn will handle that as well," D-ko shrugged, eating her own food at a somewhat more normal pace.  
  
"I'd give a great deal to see that," B-ko had to smile.  
  
Lunch ended, and the three of them walked back to classes together. It was just a bit odd, watching the students trying to get D-ko's attention. 'I knew my programming and manufacture of her was good,' B-ko mused, 'but is all of this my doing?'  
  
For the past few months, D-ko had begun to show moments of independant thought and even free will. She still wasn't quite sure what had caused it, of course, but it was remarkable to see. The maid was evolving, growing beyond the limits of her original programing, and it left B-ko feeling both oddly proud and just a bit worried.  
  
B-ko was still lost in her thoughts when classes let out, both her, Laurel and D-ko walking from the school together. Over by the front gates a woman was talking to the school's head mistress, her cheerful manner quite an opposite to the other woman's dour manner.  
  
"D-ko," the blonde called, waving a hand.  
  
"Mom," D-ko replied, running forward.  
  
"That's J'onn?" B-ko murmured, her eyes wide.  
  
"I'm impressed," Laurel agreed.  
  
"Mrs. Jones," the headmistress said faintly, "it's so good to see you taking an interest in your daughter's education like this."  
  
"Call me Kathy," J'onn smiled charmingly, the form of a gorgeous blonde disguising the Martian beneath.  
  
"We'd better get going," D-ko tugged on the hand, the group moving off together.  
  
"It's so good seeing a new girl make friends so quickly," the headmistress nodded firmly.  
  
B-ko kept her voice low as they walked, "Did you have to pick a blonde bombshell?"  
  
"Well, it had to be a blonde to match D-ko," J'onn said defensively, "and this was the first thing that came to mind."  
  
"But why Marilyn Munroe?" Laurel asked faintly.  
  
"I'm impressed that you spotted that," J'onn actually sounded pleased, "so few people spot the historic references."  
  
D-ko sweatdropped, "We are in so much trouble."  
  
To be continued... 


	18. 18

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045 Part Twenty-Two  
  
A streak of red and a flash of bright green light, and then they were there on top of an older brownstone, the city stretching out around them. "So this is New York," the Flash commented, the girl dressed in the red and gold bodysuit looking around her curiously.  
  
"Yeah," Green Lantern agreed, "my hometown, more or less." She ran a hand through her dark green hair, glad it matched her green, black and white uniform.  
  
"And the latest Firestorm's, according to Oracle," Flash murmured. She blurred for a moment then reported, "I did an initial run, no sign of him."  
  
"I suppose I could use a big ring-construct to get his attention.." Green lantern looked down at her ring thoughtfully, then she was jerked out of her thoughts by an loud explosion in the distance.  
  
"Let's go!" Flash was gone, lightning arching around her.  
  
"Iris never slows down," Green Lantern muttered then she bolted after her, her ring flaring as she traced the blast back to it's source.  
  
The side of the bank had thick black smoke pouring out of it, a massive gaping hole punched inward. Men and women all dressed in black scrambled around, hauling out sacks of money and other valuables away. Then the two women were there, and they knew they were in trouble.  
  
With a wave and a focused thought, Kyla used her ring to create a small army of talking animals to scoop up the criminals, even as Iris moved like the wind to trip up and otherwise disable them. In only a few moments they wrapped it all up.  
  
"Well, that was fun," Iris grinned.  
  
"Warn me next time you take off like that," Kyla scolded her with a gentle smile, generating a few cages for the crooks with her ring.  
  
The soft sound of clapping drew their attention to where a man stepped from the shadows, flames dancing around his head, dressed all in red and orange. "Nice," Firestorm grinned, "I only got the alarm a few minutes ago."  
  
Iris blinked, a bit of a blush coloring her cheeks as she took in the handsome young man. "Actually," Flash smiled, "we came here to see you."  
  
"Oh?" Firestorm blinked.  
  
"Let's talk," Green Lantern put a power-ring bubble around Iris and Firestorm and flew them up to the top of a nearby building. "You see," Kyla said once she put them down, "we wanted to ask you to join the Justice League."  
  
"I'm honored," Firestorm looked surprised, "but why me?"  
  
"J'onnJ'onzzsuggestedyou," Flash said, her eagerness running away with her once again as she speed-talked, "hementionedthatyouwereapowerfulmember......"  
  
"Flash, slow down," Kyla laughed.  
  
Sorry," Flash blushed charmingly beneath her cowl. "J'onn J'onzz suggested you," she said, "he mentioned that you were a powerful member of the old League, with very creative abilities." Softly she added, "Your being cute is just a bonus."  
  
"Iris!" Green Lantern scolded her in a whisper as she elbowed her friend in the ribs, hoping that the young man hadn't heard. Thankfully, he seemed to have missed it. "We'd like to take you up to the Watchtower," she smiled, "you can talk with the others, too."  
  
Firestorm hesitated there a moment, "I have to admit that I'm tempted, but.."  
  
"But?" Flash asked him eagerly.  
  
"I promised my family that I'd keep my true identity a secret," Firestorm finally said, "would that be a problem?"  
  
Green Lantern and Flash exchanged a long look.  
  
"Not a problem," Flash said casually, even as...  
  
... Green Lantern frowned slightly, "This could be a problem."  
  
"Which one?" a slightly amused smile tugged at Firestorm's lips as he looked back and forth between the women.  
  
"Why don't we ask Supergirl and Martian Manhunter?" Green Lantern suggested, using her ring to trigger the Watchtower teleporters.  
  
In only a second they stood on the surface of the Moon, deep within the sentinel fortress that was the Watchtower. "I'll go let the others know that we're here," and in a streak of red and a burst of lightning Flash was gone.  
  
"Is she always that enthusiastic?" Firestorm asked her curiously, the two walking down the metallic hallway together.  
  
"Pretty much," Kyla agreed.  
  
They walked into the meeting hall together, and Firestorm slowed down a bit as he took in the group assembled around him. Supergirl and the Martian Manhunter were talking to Flash quietly, while Kestrel gazed out the window at space. Steel walked over, her silvery bodysuit gleaming, and they both turned as the two entered. Hovering above the meeting table itself was a holographic image of a woman in a wheelchair, and a pretty blonde haired girl sat nearby her, oddly dressed in what looked a lot like a maid's uniform.  
  
Supergirl separated from the others, walking over to Firestorm. Her blue T-shirt with the familiar 's' shield, blue pants and red boots all suited the redhead well. Her smile was warm as she said, "Welcome, Firestorm. It's good to meet you."  
  
"Th.. thank you," Firestorm stuttered a bit nervously.  
  
Supergirl introduced all the others in the room, and also helped identify the two figures that Firestorm didn't know as Oracle and Mecha. "Flash tells me that you'd like to keep your identity a secret," Supergirl finally said.  
  
"We've had members of the Justice League who have concealed their identities," Martian Manhunter said gravely. The green skinned humanoid alien continued, "I see no reason that Firestorm shouldn't be able to do that as well."  
  
"But what if he's got a criminal past in his secret identity?" Steel asked, her battlesuit's plastic faceplate darkened to conceal her identity. She gave Firestorm an mildly apologetic look as she added, "No offense meant."  
  
"None taken" Firestorm said mildly, "it's understandable." A moment's hesitation, "If it helps, I'll let the Manhunter scan my mind to confirm my good intentions."  
  
"That won't be necessary," Oracle spoke up, "I can confirm that Firestorm does not have a criminal record in his secret identity."  
  
Kestrel raised an eyebrow, visible even under her black mask. "And how do you know that?" she asked her respectfully.  
  
Oracle turned to look at the new arrival, "I'm sorry, Firestorm, but I deduced your secret identity while I was investigating you before we contacted you. But as long as you wish to keep it a secret, I'll honor that request."  
  
"Well, thanks," Firestorm looked a bit stunned.  
  
"Does anyone else have any objections?" the Martian Manhunter asked the others curiously, looking around the room.  
  
"No?" Supergirl gave the others a final chance to speak up then she offered Firestorm her hand, "Welcome to the team."  
  
"Thank you," Firestorm shook it firmly as the others gathered around.  
  
Flash drew her cowl back, shaking out her sandy brown hair. "Iris West," she smiled up at him, "it's nice to meet you."  
  
"Kyla Scott," Green Lantern used her ring to remove her mask, giving the young man a much more cautious look.  
  
As the crowd gathered around Firestorm and the introductions continued Steel walked over to the Oracle hologram, "Oracle?"  
  
"Yes?" the hologram answered.  
  
"I'm sorry it's taken so long," B-ko said quietly, "but your new body if finished."  
  
To be continued... 


	19. 19

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045 Interlude: Adversaries  
  
Once it had been Belle Reeve, a prison situated in the Louisiana swamps, that had been dedicated to holding the supervillains. Outside Gotham stood Arkham Asylum, the most mad and deranged villains contained in it's high walls. Iron Heights held the supercriminals of Keystone and Central City, the Rogues Gallery of the Flash. As the years passed many facilities closed, criminals were shifted around, and ultimately a new prison was created.  
  
The Fortress was a massive construction, taller than some skyscrapers and equipped with the most advanced restraint technologies available. Fifty floors tall, a mile across, and descending into the Earth it was the holding ground for those superhumans that chose to violate the law. There had never been a successful jail break there... but there was always a first time.  
  
"Care to play a game, officer?" the redheaded woman in gambling gear asked as she was lead down the row of glass fronted cells, looking almost like a casino girl.  
  
"Sorry, Roulette," the young man said, "your probability shifting powers won't work with those dampers on." He nodded to the wristbands she wore, gleaming silver in the artificial light.  
  
"You can't blame a girl for trying," Roulette shrugged.  
  
"Here we are," a glass barrier slid up silently and she was pushed forward into the little cell. Sounding like he gave the speech regularly he continued on, "You'll get your meals through the wall compartment at six a.m., noon, and eight p.m. You get two hours community time out of the cells with the power dampers active around two p.m."  
  
"Thank you," Roulette gave him a cheerful wave as he left. She stalked over to where a bed was set up against one wall and sat down with a thump. Softly, so that it could barely be heard she seemed to ask herself, "Now what?"  
  
The voice rang in the woman's mind, not heard so much as felt. "Well done, little one," the woman's voice said, "now you have but to wait."  
  
"Who am I looking for, exactly?" Roulette murmured softly.  
  
"Metallix, Scarecrow, Vox, Obsidian and the Enchantress," the soft voice vibrated in her mind, "to begin with."  
  
"I thought Obsidian was purely a second stringer?' Roulette asked.  
  
"He possesses a connection to the old League," the voice explained softly, "something that could make them hesitate at a critical moment."  
  
"Fair enough," Roulette agreed. She lay back on the mattress, tucking her arms behind her head, "Hope this plan of yours works, lady. I don't want to serve out that sentence."  
  
"It will," the voice answered simply, then it was gone.  
  
The morning went by quietly, Roulette working out in her cell between her meals. Two p.m. finally rolled around and the door slid up on her and many other cells, releasing the captives that were normally held within. Roulette walked out, studying the figures nearby.  
  
Most of the normal prisoners were dressed in the standard orange jumpsuits, but all the super-criminals were dressed in their distinctive costumes. 'Guess it makes us stand out a bit more,' Roulette noted, 'so the guards can spot us easier.' She looked around, feeling a bit of awe at some of the beings who were imprisoned there.  
  
The Cyborg shuffled by in a primitive looking robotic body, the being who had nearly slain Superman brought so low. There was the mad god called Gog, whom the entire JLA had barely been able to defeat. Parallax, the being composed of pure temporal energy and master of time. Piper, the fey madman who had slain his predecessor for the sound technology. They were there, and dozens of others, the best of the worst.  
  
'Enough hero worship,' Roulette thought, 'time to get to work.' She scanned the crowd, looking for her targets, and spotted one after a few moments of wandering.  
  
The butchy looking blonde looked intense as she watched the crowd, a metallic circlet closed around her neck. The black clad woman saw Roulette approaching her and tilted her head to the side, waiting until she got near. There was a rasp to her voice, "What do you want?"  
  
"You're Vox?" Roulette asked her. A slight smile teased her lips as she continued on, "You're Allison Queen, is that right?"  
  
A muscle jumped in Vox's neck, "Don't mention that name."  
  
"You don't like your parents very much," Roulette said quietly, "Dinah Lance or... him. How'd you like the chance to do them some real damage?"  
  
"In here?" Vox looked around the prison block, "Don't make me laugh."  
  
"And if I could get you out of here?" Roulette asked.  
  
"I'd kill both of them for free," Vox said with a cold little smile.  
  
"I'll contact you," Roulette said simply. 'For a professional hitwoman, offering to kill her parents for free is a hell of a thing,' she mused.  
  
It took until the next day for Roulette to find another one of her targets. It was the soft whimpers of fear that drew Roulette towards her, hidden away in a corner of the massive prison. The girl tried to dig herself deeper into the corner, soft sounds of terror coming from her throat as the figure dressed in medical whites gazed on thoughtfully.  
  
"How on Earth did you manage to sneak in any of your fear chemicals?" a wary Roulette asked her curiously.  
  
"I didn't," the black haired woman flashed a smile, "it seems this poor dear has a phobia about doctors." She turned from the girl to look at Roulette thoughtfully. "What do you want with me," she asked, "what do you want from the Scarecrow?"  
  
"I understand that Kestrel stopped your experiments in emotion manipulation in Gotham City," Roulette said softly. "I'm impressed with your research, so much so that I want to let you experiment on a much larger scale."  
  
"How much larger?" Scarecrow asked, the fear struck girl trying to crawl away. She let the child go, her gaze focused on Roulette.  
  
"The entire country," Roulette said softly, "possibly the world."  
  
Scarecrow nodded slightly. "If you can get me out of this place," she smiled madly, "as entertaining as it might be, I would be most interested."  
  
"Wait and see," Roulette said.  
  
Obsidian was just a waste of her time, a figure clothed in shadows huddled fearfully in the corner of his cell. Still, there was something in his eyes... Roulette got the feeling that all hell would break loose if he was ever taken out of the influence of those power dampers.  
  
"You get me out of here," Metallix had smiled, the teenaged woman's living metal form gleaming, "and I'll do whatever you want."  
  
"I don't want much," Roulette said with a smile.  
  
"Oh?" Metallix looked curious.  
  
"Just as much chaos as you can generate," Roulette laughed as she strode away.  
  
Her final stop was near the top of the Fortress, a cell set apart from all the others. It was partially to protect the other prisoners, and in part it was to protect her. The figure wore a green cloak that swirled around her, black hair flowing down her back.  
  
"What do you want?" the woman asked.  
  
"Enchantress," Roulette said, "or would you prefer if I call you Zatanna?"  
  
"Zatanna is dead," the former heroine looked at Roulette with dead eyes, "only the Enchantress remains. Speak."  
  
"The Justice League failed you in allowing the dark spirit to possess you," Roulette chose her words carefully, "then betrayed you by locking you away here instead of seeking a cure."  
  
"The League's sins are many," Enchantress said coldly, "and I would make them pay for each and every one of them." A little pause, "Sadly, we are all held here."  
  
"That might not be a permanent condition," Roulette said. Silently she thought, 'This plan of yours had better work.'  
  
'It will, child,' the woman's voice was warm, 'and you will be rewarded once we arrive.'  
  
"Your magic could tear this place down if the dampers stopped working, right?" Roulette asked the Enchantress aloud.  
  
"Of course," Enchantress nodded gravely.  
  
"My power is to manipulate probabilities," Roulette smiled, "like the chance my dampers might fail completely." She stripped her wristbands off, holding her hands up above her head. "Or the chance EVERY damper in this place would fail!"  
  
Explosions echoed in the lower levels seconds after Roulette acted, and Enchantress smiled coldly. She gestured, "Sllaw emoc gnillaf nwod!  
  
BOOM!  
  
In moments where a mighty Fortress once stood.. rubble and ash remained. They exploded from the ruins, scattering to the four winds before anyone could possibly stop them. Villains, killers, thieves, they were all free, all ready to bring forth their own special brand of evil.  
  
On a rise not far from the Fortress they stood, hidden from prying eyes. "You delivered as promised," the Scarecrow murmured, "I'm impressed."  
  
"Not bad at all," Metallix extended finger blades, morphing her form happily.  
  
"So, you have a plan?" Vox asked.  
  
The Enchantress nodded, "I'm curious myself."  
  
"I have a certain Patron who arranged my arrival in the Fortress," Roulette said calmly, "and she's got plans for us. Like the destruction of the Justice League, to start with. Once we gather a few more recruits, of course."  
  
To be continued... 


	20. Fortress Breakout: One

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045

The Fortress Breakout: One

The alarm rang through the Watchtower, Oracle's voice ringing out as she reported, "There has been a breakout at the Fortress, repeat, there has been a breakout at the Fortress."

The members of the Justice League began to gather in the meeting room in seconds, lead by a red and gold streak. "I thought that it was escape proof?" Flash asked, the slim young woman frowning as she moved restlessly.

"There is no such thing as escape proof," Martian Manhunter replied dryly, the green skinned figure slipping through the floor to enter the chamber.

"If you're someone like Mister Miracle maybe," Supergirl strode in, red hair flowing around her head, "but I thought that all of the dampers built into the Fortress were supposed to keep the criminals there under control."

Steel and Kestrel strode in together as they both pulled on their uniforms. "You're timing stinks," Steel muttered, her long blue hair flowing down her back.

Kestrel scowled as she pulled her purple gloves on, "So who else is up here?"

D-ko entered after them, the little blonde still dressed in her maid's uniform. "Firestorm is attending to personal business," she noted, "but Green Lantern should be here."

There was a flash of green from an outside window and Green Lantern appeared, the young woman settling down beside them. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, "I was just doing some exterior maintenance on the 'Tower."

"So what are we dealing with?" Supergirl asked.

In the middle of the meeting room's table appeared the holographic image of a young woman sitting in a wheelchair. "Eyewitness reports are sketchy," she said seriously, "but it appears that the Fortress has been destroyed by an unknown power."

There was a moment of shocked silence. "You can't be serious," Flash managed.

Supergirl closed her eyes for a moment then she took on a determined expression. "Use the old JLA membership cards and signaling devices," she opened her eyes and ordered crisply, "we need to get anyone available mobilized. There are hundreds of criminals that were in there, far too many for us to try and contain alone."

Oracle's hologram flickered slightly as she went to work, diverting processing power to other functions. "Should I inform the non-aligned teams like the Outsiders?" she asked as the team moved to the teleporters.

"Pass the information on," Kestrel offered, "if they act on it is their choice." With that the team entered the chambers, there was a flare of light and they were gone.

In the American midwest, near a small country town a group of supervillains gazed around in fear and confusion. The animals circled the group, domestic pets, farm animals and wild creatures growled dangerously, pinning them down.

"What the hell is this?" Calendar Man blurted, the number printed cape swirling around him.

"You picked the wrong town to hit," the blonde haired man commented. He leaned up against the tree chewing an apple, his hair mostly gray, a ragged beard covering his chin.

"And who are you?" Sportsmaster asked, using her golf club to fend off a cat.

"My name is Buddy Baker," he shrugged casually, "but I used to be called Animal Man." Under his breath he added, "I knew I should have gotten rid of my old JL Europe ID card."

Up in the Watchtower Oracle smiled to herself. 'I never expected so many to respond, honestly.' She frowned slightly, calling up information. The Outsiders were handling crisises in Opal City, a rough assemblage of Titans were dealing with New York, but there were still major trouble spots.

BOOM!

The sonic boom rattled people's teeth as Supergirl raced across the country, her teeth grit with determination. "They're attacking where in Metropolis?" she demanded.

Maggie Sawyer's voice was related by Oracle, "Lexcorp corporate headquarters, there's a large group of costumed criminals of all sorts, led by the General."

"The General?" Supergirl repeated.

Oracle's voice came on-line with the information, "The General was an adversary of Batman's years ago, a tactical genius in his preteens. He opposed both Robin and other heroes before apparently going straight. In reality he moved into corporate crime but was busted a few years ago."

"Entering Metropolis," Supergirl swept by the Daily Planet globe, "signing off."

The Lexcorp Tower had smoke billowing up on the lower levels, someone having done serious damage to the exterior security systems. The black haired man directed the others, his replica military uniform marking him as the General.

"I've taken out the exterior cannons," the armored man said with a sneer, massive cannons mounted on each arm.

"Well done Barrage," General answered. He looked up, "Did Killer Moth survive his encounter with the lasers?"

"Cut him to ribbons," the girl in a bathing suit and goggles shrugged, "but you can count on Phantom Lady. My black light powers have blinded the security systems on the lower levels."

Supergirl dropped down in front of them, deciding that being sneaky was going to be a waste of time. "You know who I am," she said to them crisply, "you know what I can do, so why not just surrender now?"

"Metallo?" General snapped his fingers.

"Woah!" Supergirl cried as metal cables exploded from the ground to wrap around her, glowing with deadly green kryptonite radiation.

"I took your daddy on," the robotic figure emerged from the ground, his body bulky, trying to look muscular somehow, "you're small change, kid."

Supergirl bit back nausea and pain, drawing on her amazon heritage for strength. With a groan she tore from the cables, turning around quickly to pick the cyborg up with one hand. She grabbed the startled figure by the head and tore it free.

"Hey!" Metallo squealed as she hurled the head one way and the body another.

"Next," Supergirl looked at the General, the man's own expression calculating.

"No," the General held up his hand to stop Barrage and Phantom Lady from acting, "I was counting on you still being preoccupied by all the other Fortress escapees. Tactically it makes no sense to carry on fighting."

The battle field was encased in pure darkness, one that even Supergirl's eyes couldn't pierce. Just a moment later it completely dissipated, the General and Phantom Lady both gone and a startled Barrage left standing there.

"That son of a b..." Barrage cursed and kept on cursing when the Metropolis PD eventually came by to pick him up.

'Star Labs in Pittsburgh is under attack,' Oracle calmly noted, 'but thankfully we already have someone on scene.' She smiled slightly, 'More than one someone, in fact.'

The Ray cut across the battlefield, his body merely a black shadow within his powerful golden energy field. He lashed out with energy bolts and solid light constructs, struggling valiantly to keep his purple skinned enemy at bay as he called, "Firestorm, you all right? I can't hold the Parasite back for much longer."

"Just need to catch my breath," the flaming haired hero called back. Firestorm leaned on a brown haired woman who looked at him in concern.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Louise Lincon asked softly.

"I'll live," Firestorm smiled wryly. He pushed himself to stand up straight, "We've got to make Parasite burn up his energy before he tries something really destructive."

"I love this power," the Parasite laughed as the misshapen man lashed out with the powers he had stolen from firestorm, transforming the road into liquid tar and engulfing running spectators.

"No!" Louise ran forward, the temperature dropping all around her. Her clothes shattered, then her skin went snow white as she transformed, sealing the startled Parasite in ice.

"Killer Frost?" Ray gaped at her in shock.

"Just Frost," she answered as Parasite broke free violently.

"Hey," Parasite looked at her in surprise, "I thought we were on the same side?"

"Not any more," Frost engulfed him in ice as she yelled to Firestorm, "Now!"

Ice shifted to iron under Firestorm's blast but Parasite broke free. Again and again they entombed him, until finally the powers that he had absorbed faded enough that he couldn't break free.

In the aftermath Frost shifted to human form even as sirens wailed in the distance. "If you don't mind," Louise pulled a Firestorm created garment on, "I'd rather not stick around for the police."

"Thanks," Ray waved as she left.

To be continued...


	21. Fortress Breakout: Two

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045

The Fortress Breakout: Two

"Damn it, I want to be in Gotham," Kestrel angrily protested, the black and purple clad heroine holding on to Steel's back.

Oracle's voice was firm, "You know that Raven can handle it, Kestrel, we've got the irregulars in Gotham mobilized under her command." She paused a moment, "And I called in Catwoman, just like you suggested."

"Finally broke down?" Kestrel smiled slightly, but Oracle didn't reply.

"And I have to admit," B-ko commented as she checked her helmet's heads up display, "the situation in Washington DC is possibly a bit more urgent."

"True," Kestrel acknowledged as they passed the outer city limits. "All right," she sighed as she got down to business, "so who is this Vandal Savage, anyway?"

"A near immortal Vandal Savage has pursued his own agenda for untold centuries," Oracle answered crisply. "He fought the JLA and JSA over the years, as well as being a major player in several different global crisis," she finished.

"And now he's taken Washington," Steel added as troopers opened fire on them, men and women dressed in various different uniforms. She weaved through energy fire smoothly, wrist cannon firing as she destroyed transports.

Kestrel silently leapt into the center of the attackers force, striking out smoothly and effectively. 'Those are Kobra uniforms,' she noted as she fought on with a mix of speed and consummate skill, 'warriors from the Demon's Head, Intergang shock troops and even a few apes from Gorilla City. How did he organize them all?'

Not far above her Steel took out the heavy weapons, her suit gleaming silver like some avenging angel. They forged forward together, driving the enemy backward as they fought through the streets. "Wish some of the others were available," B-ko muttered.

"Sorry," Oracle said apologetically, "but Green Lantern is dealing with Mongul's attempt to reactivate the old Star Wars platforms and Flash is running across the country trying to put out all of the small fires."

"And Mecha?" Kestrel crisply asked as they pushed on towards the capital building, knowing that they had a deadline to meet.

"ETA twenty seconds," Oracle said impishly, "she'll hit right on time."

Up on the podium in front of the capital building the black haired man waved dramatically. "This is our time," Vandal Savage declared as he addressed his followers, "the failures end here! We will change the world in ways that they could never imagine..." He trailed off, blinking as he saw a silvery object high in the sky. "What is that?" he blinked.

THOOM!

The shockwave sent crooks flying, the coordinated tactics that they had been using to slow Kestrel and Steel breaking down in the chaos. Mecha rose from the crater her landing had made, her skin gleaming and undamaged.

"Looks like the armor upgrades worked," Kestrel remarked.

"Overfire mode, activate," D-ko loudly declared.

The metal skin on her body peeled open as weapons mounted on her arms popped up and then a cannon sprouted out of each of her shoulders. D-ko's sculpted ribs popped up and out to reveal missile racks, and along each leg more of the missile racks were revealed. From her eyes two red tracking beams activated, swiftly targeting the dead center of the enemy forces.

"I would strongly advise surrender," Mecha said crisply.

"Leave the troops to her," Steel said crisply as she saw Vandal Savage quickly flee the stage, "we've got to get to him, first."

"Right," Kestrel agreed, the two of them following him as he fled inside the Capital building itself, hearing Mecha opening fire behind them.

The building was dark as they raced through the halls, Kestrel on foot while Steel skimmed along above her. "Damn you," Savage threw a chunk of statue, clipping Steel's helmet and sending her crashing to the floor.

"Not today," Kestrel kicked out at him smoothly even as she slipped a few gas capsules from her utility belt. She slammed them into the ground even as a simple mental command activated her cowl's built in air filters.

The gas seemed to slow Savage down a moment and Kestrel felt herself relax slightly... a fatal mistake. Savage was on her in a moment, a large hand wrapped around her throat as he bodily picked her up off the floor. "Prepare to die," he hissed as he began to squeeze, then froze as something cold touched the back of his head.

"You know," Steel said as she held her arm cannon to the back of Savage's head, "I really don't consider myself a hero, so if you don't let go of Kestrel right now I will blow your head off."

Savage stood there a moment, weighing her words, then he eased off and let Kestrel go. "You know, I think I believe you," he put his hands up in surrender.

Once Kestrel and Steel emerged with the captive Savage the fight seemed to go out of the mob, the regular police and military forces moving in to take control. "Did you mean what you said?" Kestrel asked as they watched from the sidelines.

"Every word," Steel answered softly.

Kestrel moved close as she purred into Steel's ear, "Thank you, partner."

In the Watchtower mainframes Oracle smiled to herself grimly. 'I don't think I realized that about Steel,' she thought. She worked swiftly, organizing data to get a better feel of what was going on in other parts of the world.

The Martian Manhunter calmly said, "You don't need to do this, Triumph."

The blonde haired man in golden armor glared at the green Martian, his eyes glowing with pure madness. At his feet an older woman lay, her face bloody from multiple blows. "You should understand, J'onn," Triumph hissed, the former hero's teeth pulled back in a snarl, "I have to make all my former partners pay."

"And beating up Vixen will help?" he asked, looking down at the woman laying at his feet. Vixen had been a JLAer once, a teammate and good friend, and it took all of his will not to lash out at the madman with all his power.

"It's a start," Triumph shot back.

There was a sudden blur of motion but Triumph was faster, raising a magnetic barrier to slam the Flash back. His attention diverted J'onn struck, slamming a fist into the side of his head and sending the forgotten hero crashing to the ground.

"Oww," Flash pulled herself to her feet, shaking her head slightly as she asked them, "so what's his problem, anyway?"

"Triumph was one of the earliest heroes," Vixen winced as she was helped up, "and led the first mission of the JLA." Before Flash could protest she continued, "But a temporal event wiped him out of history and trapped him in Limbo for years. He felt that he lost out on the prestige and place in history he deserved...."

"And it eventually drove him more than a little mad," J'onn finished.

Flash looked at the fallen Triumph, her expression a mix of pity and disgust. "So what did he mean, former partners?" she asked.

"Triumph was a member of the JLA Task Force for a short time," J'onn said with a sigh, "along with Vixen and myself. It didn't end well."

"I thought," Vixen visibly winced in pain as J'onn supported her, "that he was supposed to be locked up in the Fortress for life?"

"Considering that the Fortress is rubble right now," Flash casually slung Triumph over her shoulder,. "that answers that." She touched the earpiece of her cowl as she got a call from Oracle, "Looks like things are finally dying down."

"Looks like you guys have things well in hand," Vixen murmured to J'onn with a wry smile.

"We're trying," he answered. J'onn activated his own communicator and a frown appeared on his face. "Many of the major players are still missing," he reported with a sigh, "like Cyborg, Gog, Enchantress and several others."

"Which means we'll be dealing with them later on," Flash agreed with a sigh of her own.

To be continued....

Author's Note: Triumph was introduced in the DC Comics crossover Zero Hour, where his backstory was revealed. He joined the JL Task Force when it was relaunched and stayed on until the group disbanded. He reappeared in the third JLA series as a villain, wielding a mystical lightning bolt and battling against both the JLA and JSA.


	22. 20

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045 Part Twenty-Three  
  
"Outsiders?" B-ko murmured as she worked on the final preparations. Her battlesuit's helmet sat on a counter nearby, the faceplate clear once again, reflecting the chamber all around them. The android hung from several connections on the ceiling, looking just like a redheaded young woman of about sixteen years old.  
  
"Yes," Oracle agreed, "they're recently been sighted in Opal City. I'm still researching the team's make-up, but so far they seem to be operating on the side of the angels."  
  
"And what about the other team?" B-ko asked her curiously, the blue haired young woman's face entirely hidden by the open access panels in the back of the android as she made a few final adjustments to the internal systems.  
  
"The Titans," Oracle said as she watched B-ko work, "my old friend Nightwing seems to be reorganizing them. They're reactivated Titans Tower and are meeting semi-regularly."  
  
"There we go," B-ko wiped off her hands on a rag, then she carefully closed up the hatches on the back of the android. "Activate the modem connection," she turned to look at the Oracle hologram, "let's see how it's working."  
  
"Right," the Oracle hologram flickered a moment, then it simply disappeared as her attention was focused elsewhere. The android twitched, the head came up to look around, then she took a deep breath. In a quiet voice she said, "Wow."  
  
"Sounds good," B-ko began to disconnect the various connections to the Watchtower's internal systems, "so how does it feel?"  
  
"Human," Oracle sounded delighted. She twisted and turned, admiring her new redheaded form. She looked up, a blush on her cheeks, and in surprise she touched those cheeks with her fingertips, "I can even blush! B- ko, you're an artist."  
  
"It's the little details that count," the armor clad B-ko walked over to the workbench. She picked up a robe and walked back, "Here you go."  
  
"Thanks," Oracle quickly pulled the robe on over her nudity, "I just noticed that you made this body anatomically correct." She looked over at B- ko with a blush, "I'm not quite sure how to ask this... but does everything work?"  
  
"I haven't actually tried it out myself," B-ko said with a great deal of dignity, a little smile teasing at her lips, "but yes, it should all work."  
  
"Incredible," Oracle muttered, her read hair falling into her eyes. "How did you manage this?" she murmured, the woman in the long robe walking hesitantly around the room.  
  
"I had a lot of help," B-ko shrugged slightly. "The JLA's old enemy Professor Ivo had a lot of experience building androids, and we've got most of his files in the database," she explained. A grin, "Not that I didn't make some improvements, of course."  
  
"So what are my limits?" Oracle asked curiously, looking back at B- ko.  
  
"There's one big one," B-ko admitted. "The transmission range for you operating this is pretty short, at least for now. You can go anywhere in the Watchtower, but that's it," she said.  
  
"The Watchtower," Oracle repeated, then she smiled. "And to think, I was worried I'd be limited to this workroom or something! This is great," she laughed.  
  
"Good," B-ko grinned back, "now lets get you some clothes and stuff. You've got teammates to meet, things to do, all that stuff."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Oracle agreed. "There's some clothes stored in the lockers by the teleporters," she noted as the two walked out together. They went down the hallway, and the oddest look appeared on Oracle's face.  
  
"What?" B-ko looked over at her curiously.  
  
"I can even smell the air.. there's a metallic scent to the air," Oracle softly noted, "and it's a bit dry." She tilted her head to the side, and B-ko heard a soft rumble, "Humidifier on, and I've boosted air recycling, just in case."  
  
There was a sound of conversation, then Flash and Green Lantern came around the corner, talking softly. "You shouldn't have gushed over Firestorm like that," Kyla noted, her greenish black hair falling into her eyes, "he sure left in a hurry."  
  
"Sorry," Iris sighed. The Flash perked up, "He sure was cute, though."  
  
Kyla took in the two women walking up the hall, then she got a good look at the redhead. Her eyes widened slightly, "B-ko, who's your friend?"  
  
"I'm Oracle, actually," she smiled slightly, green eyes looking more amused than anything else, "So what do you think of my new body?"  
  
"Very nice," Iris bounced in place cheerfully, then she looked over to take in her friend's faint blush and grinned.  
  
"You look great," Kyla felt herself blushing slightly, to her general irritation.  
  
"Thanks," Oracle smiled. She looked up at B-ko, "We should probably go get those clothes, I'm feeling a bit of a draft."  
  
"Here," Kyla concentrated, and her power ring flared once. In a moment Oracle was wearing a simple set of sweatpants made up of glowing green energy. "You can just slip them off when you get your clothes," she said, "the ring constructs will just dissipate."  
  
"Did you give her matching underwear?" Iris asked curiously, her sandy brown hair swept back from her face.  
  
"Iris!" Kyla growled.  
  
"Thank you again," Oracle laughed softly before she and B-ko headed up the hallway towards the teleporters and the changing rooms.  
  
Iris waited until both of them had walked away before she looked over at the still faintly blushing Kyla, "Liked what you saw?"  
  
"Don't start with me," Kyla quickly warned her best friend, "I'm sure I can still manage to spank you with a ring-construct."  
  
Iris snickered softly as they walked in the other direction, towards the meeting room. "And wouldn't our more perverted fans love that image?" she laughed.  
  
Kyla snickered softly, "True." They walked on a few moments before Kyla smiled slightly, "Oracle sure was cute, though."  
  
"I noticed," Iris smiled at her wickedly, "and I think Oracle noticed you noticing that, if you know what I mean."  
  
Kyla winced, "Oh boy."  
  
Over by the teleporters Oracle smiled as she picked up a simple shirt and pants. She blushed slightly as B-ko handed her over matching underwear, "Sorry, forgot."  
  
"No problem," B-ko said as Oracle went in to change. She leaned up against the wall, hands behind her head. "Any news from Superman and Wonder Woman?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing yet," Oracle's voice came from inside, "and to be honest I'm getting worried. Even if they're in deep space, the Watchtower systems should be able to pick up some message."  
  
"I understand that Kyla's got the Green Lanterns out looking," B-ko offered, "hopefully we'll hear something soon."  
  
"Let's hope," Oracle agreed, stepping out of the change room. The pants hugged her hips down to the ankles, while the shirt was loose but comfortable. "I think I'll order some more stuff on-line," Oracle tugged at the shirt, "have one of you pick it up for me."  
  
"Maybe I got a little carried away," B-ko softly admitted, "but I did use the measurements from when you were a teenager."  
  
"I had this happen to me back then, too," Oracle reassured her. They walked towards the meeting room and she added with a smile, "I thought Kyla was pretty cute, blushing like that and all."  
  
"You think she likes you?" B-ko asked curiously.  
  
"She doesn't really know me yet," Oracle pointed out. With a devilish smirk she added, "But that doesn't rule out lust at first sight."  
  
"At least now," B-ko noted, "you've got the option of actually doing something about it."  
  
Oracle nodded, "That's true." A smile, "Not that I have any plans to. I think I want to get used to having a body, before I actually decide to start using it."  
  
The meeting room was oddly quiet as they walked inside, and B-ko instantly sensed something was wrong. "What happened?" she asked crisply.  
  
"The Green Lanterns followed the warp trail from Almerac to Apokolips," A-ko said softly, "the planet has been devastated."  
  
"There were no survivors," J'onn J'onz said to them gravely, the Martian Manhunter looking especially grim.  
  
"Darkseid and the New Gods of Apokolips have been destroyed?" Oracle blinked. She shook her head grimly, "This enemy, whoever it is, is incredibly powerful."  
  
"And according to the information the Green Lanterns there collected," Kyla added, "the enemy is on it's way to Earth."  
  
"How long?" A-ko asked softly.  
  
"A few weeks," Kyla offered, "maybe a bit longer. They seem to be taking a round-about course, for some reason."  
  
"Then we'd better be ready to meet them," Helena said as she stepped from the shadows, her Kestrel uniform's cape swirling around her.  
  
To be continued... 


	23. 21

Interlude: Beyond the Brightest Star...  
  
The chamber glowed a pale green, the two figures rendered sickly beneath the glow. Both wore garishly colored uniforms, now tattered and torn, their faces showing signs of rough treatment. The man stirred, looking up, his expression determined.  
  
"Diana?" Superman asked softly. She didn't answer, slumped unconscious in her chains, and he felt a flash of deadly rage. He put all his strength into breaking his own bonds, straining with all his might, but nothing happened.  
  
"Give it up," the male voice from up the way said dryly, "they've balanced the red sunlight and simulated kryptonite radiation levels perfectly. Your powers are all but gone."  
  
Superman turned,. peering into the darkness. The green skinned man was similarly bound to the wall, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. "Vril Dox," Superman blinked, recognizing the lawman almost instantly.  
  
Vril nodded bleakly. "Our adversaries are remarkably effective," he said grimly, "they've moved to neutralize any possible resistance."  
  
"And the LEGION?" Superman asked, referring to the police service that Vril normally headed up.  
  
"They've put an Durlan agent in my place," Vril mentioned the shapechanging race of aliens quite conversationally, "along with recruiting some of my agents to support her." His eyes narrowed, flashing with a buried rage, "And when I get out of here they're going to pay."  
  
"I'm surprised they could deal with Lobo so easily," Superman noted.  
  
"They didn't," Vril actually sounded a bit amused as he added, "they simply made him a better offer than we did."  
  
"Any idea who else is in here?" Superman tried to use his vision powers to scan the chamber, but they were too weak.  
  
Vril smiled grimly, "They've been busy." He tilted his head back, "The Omega Men are gone, the Daxamite survivors are here, and the few New Gods of Apokolips that were left." He paused, "I also understand they've made treaties with the Knunds, Citadel and Tamaran."  
  
"They've defeated the New Gods..." Superman echoed weakly.  
  
"There's been several Dominator scientists involved," Vril said, "apparently they're studying the superhuman species again."  
  
Superman had the oddest look on his face as he murmured, "So how does a kidnapped girl from Earth factor into all this?"  
  
"I would have thought you'd have figured it all out by now," the amused voice came from the access portal, "married life had made you dull."  
  
Superman turned his head to take in a redheaded woman, her gorgeous body sheathed in red, green and gold body armor. "Maxima," he murmured, recognizing the Queen of Almerac. He tried to sit up, body aching, "What do you want?"  
  
"Nothing from you," Maxima said dryly, "we've already got what we need."  
  
Superman blinked, then his eyes narrowed. "You went after C-ko," he realized. "What happened to your men, though?" he asked.  
  
"Your people's genetic engineering experiments," Vril Dox said thoughtfully, "something must have gone wrong...."  
  
"Very good," Maxima nodded grimly. "We still don't know what went wrong, but our men began to die... more and more each year until they were gone."  
  
"So why do you want C-ko?" Superman demanded.  
  
Maxima smiled, clearly amused. "Nearly twenty years ago we sent out our seedlings," she said, "life forms encoded to seek out the most genetically advanced lifeforms on each world and sample their DNA." She smiled, "We called them princesses."  
  
The look on Superman's face was priceless. "C-ko was..." he said softly.  
  
"See for yourself," Maxima laughed softly, gesturing someone towards her. The blonde was nearly as tall as Maxima herself, her face gently beautiful as she smiled at them. "I'd like you to meet my daughter," she smiled, "Cylene."  
  
Cylene nodded slightly, "I'm looking forward to seeing A-ko and B-ko again." Her expression was dangerous, "It's going to be such a surprise to them."  
  
Maxima felt a moment of deep satisfaction as she saw the stunned look on Superman's face. It was almost better than beating him in battle, to see him so shaken by the knowledge that the girl they had come to rescue was in fact the enemy.  
  
"Earth's heroes will stop you," Superman recovered enough to say.  
  
"I look forward to finding out," Maxima actually chuckled softly as she said, "we'll be making our way to Earth soon enough."  
  
The two women left, walking together up the hallway. "I do hope that I won't have to fight A-ko and B-ko," Cylene noted quietly, "I hope they'll see reason."  
  
"But if not," Maxima said firmly, "we'll use force. The Almerac people are warriors, my daughter, it has always been our way."  
  
"Yes, mother," Cylene nodded respectfully.  
  
"We've begun our advanced operations on Earth," Maxima said as they entered a lift, rising towards the bridge as she curiously asked, "what would you advise we do?"  
  
"Use the supervillains," Cylene said crisply, "to disorganize and confuse the superhumans before we even launch our own assault. That way we can also use the heroes to defeat possible rivals like Extant, Cyborg and other beings."  
  
"Very good," Maxima nodded as they entered the bridge. The station they stood at was elevated, various other positions scattered around below them. "Captain, status?" she asked.  
  
"We're on course to the Controllers' homeworld, m'lady," the green haired woman nodded, "at our present speed we should be there in days."  
  
"It's much the same tactics you used on Darkseid's forces," Cylene calmly noted, "turning Granny Goodness, Dessad, and the others against each other and Darkseid."  
  
"And the Justice League?" Maxima inquired.  
  
"They may be the greatest threat to our attempt to conquer the Earth," Cylene said. "They've successfully staved off invasions in the past, including one lead by our Dominator allies. They have to be neutralized as an organizing force before we launch our attack," she concluded.  
  
"Should we send an advanced force?" Maxima asked, gazing out the bridge viewport to take in the stars streaming by them.  
  
"No," Cylene shook her head, "as unlikely as it may be if they were defeated, it would tip the Terrans off about the enhancements our race has undergone."  
  
"Enhancements made possible by the Kryptonian and Terran DNA that you acquired," Maxima said with a smile.  
  
Cylene nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "DNA we were already close to acquiring from the Daxamites," she said, "once we dealt with the lead weakness."  
  
"And the bio-technology data we took from their computers before we razed the planet will come in very handy," Maxima said.  
  
"I do wish that Wonder Woman would wake up," Cylene frowned slightly, "the mystical nature of her abilities worry me."  
  
"She has retreated into her mind, unable to accept her defeat at my hands," Maxima smiled coldly, remembering leading the team that had ambushed the two Earth heroes.  
  
Cylene shook her head, "At one time she was a Goddess, the personification of Truth and in part, I suspect she still is. I won't relax until I'm sure she's powerless." A pause, "Or dead."  
  
"You are your mother's daughter," Maxima mused softly.  
  
Cylene shook her head slightly, turning her thoughts to other matters. "We're approaching the Controllers' homeworld? We'll probably face a force of their Darkstar agents as perimeter guards. The Controllers themselves are powerful psionics, we'll have to prepare shielding..."  
  
With a certain amount of pride Maxima watched her daughter plan the next campaign, hiding her misgivings. 'Is she still too human?' she wondered.  
  
To be continued.... 


	24. 22

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045

Old Allies and New

Supergirl descended towards the sea smoothly, her red cape swirling behind her as she hit the water. Re-entry from space had heated her body so much that the water boiled a moment, eventually subsiding as she plunged into the depths. A simple breathing unit was slipped over the redhead's mouth, other than that she needed no special gear beneath the waves.

The deep blue shifted as A-ko descended, going to deep blue then finally a nearly lightless darkness. Here far below the surface, concealed by both science and enchantment was the continent of Atlantis, lost beneath the waves. The city that she was searching for soon appeared, artificial and organic sources of light providing illumination for the numerous residents.

The black haired man waiting outside with the guards carried his age well, the uniform he wore swirling in red and black. "Welcome," the former Titan called Tempest gave her a cautious smile, "the king is waiting to see you."

"Thank you," A-ko nodded, red hair swirling around her face.

They moved through the glowing streets, residents peeking out nervously as they swam by. Tempest smiled slightly, "So how are the Titans doing?"

"A fourth incarnation has started," Supergirl answered him, "with several younger heroes being mentored by members of the older generation."

"I'm glad," Tempest answered her simply.

The palace itself stood largely unguarded, though A-ko wasn't surprised. The reputation the king of Atlantis had was such that few would dare to directly oppose him, even now that he had officially retired from being a superhero. The halls glittered, not with treasure but instead by coral and native rock, creating a serene yet lovely atmosphere.

Arthur Curry sat on the throne, his blonde hair and beared now streaked with grey. A simple circlet rested on his brow, the formal garb of an Atlantian king resting uncomfortably on his muscular body. His expression was grave but lightened as he smiled and said, "A-ko, it's been a long time."

"That it has, sir," A-ko agreed, thinking back fondly to when the man before standing before her had brought his children to meet the other descendants of the JLA.

"It's nice to see you," Dolphin agreed, the white haired but youthful queen slipping back into her seat beside Arthur's smoothly. She looked much less formal, her clothes loose and clearly chosen for comfort.

"So," Arthur looked at her shrewdly, "is this visit business or pleasure?"

"A bit of both," Supergirl admitted. "This has been the first time I could visit since I took over the family business," she tugged at the 'S' shield shirt she wore, "and there is the question of where an Atlantian mech that attacked the surface came from...."

"The mech," a scowling Tempest spoke up, "was stolen by the criminal Black Manta then sold off to the highest bidder."

"We recently extended him an amnesty in the hopes that he had truly reformed," Dolphin explained to her apologetically, "but despite his regaining his sanity the Manta continues to be a dangerous criminal."

"Has the Fortress break-out been a problem here?" A-ko asked curiously.

"Not really," Arthur smiled grimly, "there are few villains native to the sea, and even less willing to risk my wrath."

"I'm glad," Supergirl answered. She took a slightly nervous breath, "During the Fortress breakout the Justice League was spread very thin, something that has led us to consider holding a membership drive...."

Tempest shook his head, "Personally, I'd be interested in joining the League but I'm tied up with duties here in Atlantis."

"And I'm a bit too old to be playing this game," Arthur looked thoughtful as he continued, "but there is someone who might be interested."

A messenger was sent and a few minutes later a young mann arrives, dressed in a simple uniform of white and blue. His red hair fell into his blue eyes, and his face was almost unearthly handsome. "My lord," he bowed to Arthur, eyes widening slightly as he saw Supergirl.

"I'd like you to meet Orin," Arthur nodded towards him, "a member of our Atlantian guards who recently petitioned to go to the surface world."

Orin nodded to Supergirl, "Ma'am." Looking to Arthur he asked eagerly, "Does this mean my petition has been granted?"

"Easy," Dolphin smiled at the young man and he flushed.

"Like most Atlantians he will possess enhanced strength on the surface, and he's been treated so that he can safwely function on the surface for extended periods. He also," Arthur smiled, "has gained certain abilities in the manipulation of water."

Supergirl studied Orin a moment, then nodded firmly. "If Aquaman recomends you I'd have to be a fool to turn you down," she said, "if you'd be interested in joining the Justice League?"

Orin grinned as he took her offered hand, "I'd be honored."

Across the globe in Gotham City a blaze of green lit the sky, then flashed on towards a silvery tower rising towards the heavens. Kyla Scott, Earth's current Green Lantern, descended to the ground on the emerald energies of her power ring and gazed up at the building thoughtfully.

The headquarters and museum of the Justice Society of America had been almost a second home for her, back when she had been growing up. The second and third generation members had watched over her, even as she had eagerly consumed the history of those great heroes.

A red and gold dressed streak appeared at her side, blurring slightly as she rapidly moved back and forth, "WherehaveyoubeenIthoughtI'dbewaitingouthereforever...."

"Slow down," Kyla chuckled softly.

Flash did so a bit sheepishly, obviously unaware that she had still been operating a super speed. "Sorry," she said, "but what took you so long?"

Kyla just ignored that, opening up the front door as she led her friend inside. "Iris, chill," she scolded as they moved through the displays of golden and silver aged heroes.

Iris West just grinned impishly beneath her red cowl. "So do you think she'll be here?" she asked as Kyla used her keycard to open up the private section of the building.

"That's what the message said," Kyla said, leading the way into the conference room.

At first glance the woman standing there by the table looked quite young, her short white hair framing her beautiful face. But on a closer examination it was an odd sort of youth, really an kind of agelessness coupled with great power. She wore a simple, ankh inscribed gold circlet on her brow, and beads of gold were braided with longer strands of her hair. The blue and cold uniform was distinctive, the cape and amulet glowing in the dim light.

"Wow," Iris murmured.

Dr. Fate turned to them as they entered, her eyes piercing as she studied them. Finally she murmured, "Having Alan Scott find me was very clever."

Kyla hid a smile at that. Her grandfather had been the golden age Green Lantern, possessed of a mystical power ring wielding the flames of the Starheart. Those flames had slowly become part of the hero, eventually replacing flesh and blood and making him nearly immortal. He had ultimately become one of the mystical guardians of the world, though he still kept an eye on his family.

Flash was the first to break the moment of silence, "As you probably know we're members of the Justice League, and we were sent to....."

"The League lacks a mystical member," Fate cut her off crisply, "and you were hoping that I would consent to join."

"Dr. Fate, by the tone of your voice you don't sound very interested," Kyla noted, "or would you prefer if I called you Lyta Hall?"

Fate relented just a bit, a slight smile on her face, "No, I'm merely annoyed that I have little choice but to join."

"Huh?" Flash blinked.

Fate walked over to them, golden cape flowing as she remarked, "Long story."

"So you're willing to join?' Kyla wanted confirmation.

"Yes," Fate nodded, her circlet glowing in the light, "and I have a little puzzle to pass on to the League, one I hope you'll have better luck understanding than I did."

To be continued....

Author's Note: The mecha comment in the Atlantis section ties in to Outsiders 2045 by Chris Davies. Dr. Fate previously appeared in a chapter of DC Universe 2045: Showcase Part 3: The Books of Magic, and I went into her background in those Authors Notes.


	25. 23

Project A-ko: DC Universe 2045

Metropolis in Peril

They swarmed up from beneath the city, misshapen, almost mindless creatures consumed by rage and pain, seeking nothing but destruction. They raced forward in the dozens, in multiple colors and forms, but all of them were powerful and clearly furious.

"I thought Metropolis was more Supergirl's territory," Kestrel remarked, the black and purple clad heroine using a karate style strike to drop one of the creatures then pulled a capsule from her belt. Exploding in the middle of an upcoming group the tear-gas overwhelmed the creatures, sending them staggering around blindly.

B-ko used her wrist launcher to blast another group back into the abandoned tunnels they had emerged from. "Well, we were in the area," Steel said crisply. A laser bolt came from the other side of them and the blue haired girl smiled as she said hesitantly, "Thank you, mom."

Lena Luthor nodded with a slight smile, hefting an impressive looking laser weapon in her arms. They were still adapting to their new relationship, though they were slowly becoming a bit more relaxed together. "I just wish I knew where these things were coming from, they're stretching out Lexcorp security and the Metropolis PD to their limits," the redhead said grimly, sighting and firing again to blast another few of them backwards.

"Oracle?" Kestrel asked curiously.

"They look like D. N. Aliens," Oracle answered as she used projectors mounted on the Steel armor to generate a hologram of her usual mask icon, "created by the Cadmus project in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century."

"Wait just a minute," a frowning Lena quickly protested, "wasn't Cadmus shut down by the government years ago?"

"No, I'm remembering something," Kestrel frowned as she asked, "didn't the D. N. Aliens manage to break out, somehow?"

"Exactly," Oracle reported crisply, "the scientists were evacuated and the facility sealed up. but obviously they figured out how to break out." She paused, "Mecha and the Martian Manhunter are attempting to break in the other side of the tunnels."

"So do we try to reseal them up," Steel wondered aloud, "or try to enter Cadmus itself and deal with the source?"

"I'm leaning towards sealing them up," Kestrel admitted, "otherwise we're going to have to kill a lot of these D. N. Aliens."

There was a tingle at the back of their minds, a telepathic communication coming in from the Martian Manhunter. "I've detected a force guiding the attack," J'onn reported, "they are being driven forward by something deeper inside the complex."

"There goes that idea," Kestrel said wryly, "looks like we're going in."

"All right," Steel nodded, "you and I will go in here, try and drive past the D. N. Aliens and meet J'onn and Mecha in the center." She turned to Lena, "Please stay here and hold them back from the city with the police and your security."

"I'm going with you," Lena said crisply.

"You can't..." Steel started only to freeze.

Lena activated a slim metal wristband and was enfolded by a golden light. When it faded a suit of battle armor enfolded her from head to toe, silver mesh and heavy metal gauntlets in a very familiar looking design. A clear helm revealed her impish smile as she said, "Why not? I've even dressed up for the occasion."

"I can see where you get your design sense," Kestrel murmured.

"Thanks a lot, love," Steel sighed. She looked at her mother thoughtfully, "We won't be able to protect you down there, you know."

Lena hefted the laser cannon much easier as she answered, "I can take care of myself, thanks." Much more gently she continued, "Let me help, please."

Steel studied her a moment then nodded. "We could use the help with Supergirl and the others busy," she admitted. They turned to the tunnels together, watching the creatures milling out in the darkness as she asked, "Ready?"

Kestrel took a wing shaped throwing weapon out from her belt, snapping it open with a smooth gesture, "Always."

Lena snapped the safety off her cannon, "Of course."

"Then let's go," Steel cried as she fired off a flight of missiles into the monsters then the three of them charged forward.

A ghostly figure dropped through the roof of another section of the complex, dropping into an nearly empty chamber. The green skinned Martian solidified as he looked around, his golden eyes narrowed as he used his telepathy to probe outward.

Boom! The door into the chamber exploded inward as a metallic figure walked over the rubble, looking around her curiously. "Are you picking up anything?" Mecha asked, the robot girl looking more dangerous than usual with her arm cannons and shoulder mounts popped up.

J'onn nodded grimly, "Not far ahead, thankfully. And it seems that whomever it was drove most of the D. N. Aliens away, so the way seems clear."

"Oracle has heard back from Firestorm on a coded frequency," Mecha reported as they headed down a long metal corridor, "he's coming back to the Watchtower from investigating the old Injustice Society satellite."

"Empty, of course," J'onn noted. He looked grim, "We've been running around putting out small fires, but there's someone pulling the strings behind it all."

"The same ones behind the Fortress breakout, maybe?" Mecha speculated, connecting to a computer port in the wall to open up the next door.

"I've passed the information on to a certain associate," J'onn said, thinking of Bruce Wayne with a smile, "I'm hoping he'll be able to offer some theories."

Mecha tilted her head as they neared a heavier set of metal doors. Plugging into the wall she murmured, "I'm picking up vibrations ahead, movement."

J'onn winced visibly in pain, "The telepathic broadcast is strengthening, too. Looks like we've reached the source of the trouble."

"Incoming," Mecha smiled suddenly.

There was a distant rumble, then a sharp detonation as the wall collapsed inward and three figures moved into their line of sight. Kestrel, Steel and Lena were all dusty and a little the worse for wear but otherwise they looked to be all right.

"Oh sure," Steel said to the two dryly, "you took the easy way in."

"Nice to see you made it here all right, ma'am," Mecha smiled happily.

"Your friend Oracle sent us the plans of the facility," Lena noted the wary glance the Manhunter gave her but ignored it as she said, "the command center is just beyond this door."

"Mecha opens the doors and goes in first," Kestrel said crisply, "the rest of us follow her in, keeping an eye on each other as we go."

"Why Mecha first?" Steel had to ask.

"If it is a telepath we're dealing with," Mecha nodded thoughtfully, "as a robot I should be immune to his influence."

"Kestrel," J'onn nodded as Mecha cracked the security and opened the doors.

The command center they raced into was badly in disrepair, conduits and cables broke and dangling, viewscreens cracked. The only light came from the wretched figure sitting in the center of the room, advanced life support equipment helping to support his hideously oversized head. He didn't even speak telepathically, they only felt a wave of agony wash over them!

"Hector Hammond!" J'onn blinked in surprise, trying to use his own telepathy to shield their minds from the man's projected agony. His eyes narrowed as he studied the devices attached to the chair, "It's torturing him, somehow."

Mecha, Lena and Steel didn't wait for an order, they quickly raced forward, opening up panels and studying the technology filled chair. "Psionic shields in your armor?" Lena asked, gritting her teeth as another wave of pain hit them.

"Yes," Steel sounded a bit strained, "but they're not working as well as I hoped."

"Are you all right?" Mecha asked as she passed needed tools over.

"For now," Steel sighed. She pointed to a module that they had just uncovered and said, "I think this is it."

"Delivering electric shocks every few seconds," Lena agreed grimly, "I'll remove it, you bypass systems around it just in case." Working as a team they had the device out in moments, the waves of pain stopping as soon as they finished.

"Torturing a man just to send an army of D. N. Aliens against Metropolis," Kestrel frowned. "who would do that? And why?"

"Just a calling card," Hector rasped out, the badly misshapen man's voice raspy from screaming, "they wanted you to know they were back." A weak breath and he finished, "They call themselves the Injustice League."

To be continued...


	26. 24

Injustice League

"I still think that Injustice League is a stupid name," Metallix complained, the silver metal woman watching covertly as they waited.

Scarecrow watched with academic interest as the battle went on, her fingers gently toying with one of her vials of fear-chemical. The black haired woman smiled, her labcoat swirling around her as she commented, "It's not like there are many alternatives."

"Villainy Incorporated?" Vox offered, the tall blonde walking away from where she had been fighting a group of federal agents. The ambush would probably have worked against a normal criminal, but her sonic gifts had made short work of the officers. Dressed in her simple red and black bodysuit Vox cut a fine if deadly looking figure.

Roulette shook her head, her red hair flowing around her. "Last time I checked Lex Luthor had been organizing his allies under that name," she said, adjusting her gambler's clothes, "and I wouldn't want to annoy him into coming out of retirement."

"I thought he was dead?" Metallix looked startled.

"No one's found the body," Vox replied dryly.

"And with someone like Luthor," the young lady said, her golden cowl covering her face, "you'd better be sure."

"True enough, Rival," Scarecrow admitted, studying her thoughtfully.

Rival was one of their newest arrivals, a super-speedster with a deadly hatred for the Flashes. Originally Rival fought the 1940's Flash, but was reborn in the modern era by possessing others with the powers of speed. First the obscure hero Max Mercury fell, then others. Now Rival inhabited the body of Jesse Chambers, once called Jesse Quick, and had reshaped her form to it's own needs. Blonde hair went black, aged flesh restored to youthful vitality and the body's original spirit was exiled to the mysterious energy called Speed Force.

"Did you deal with that upstart, Zoom?" Roulette asked her curiously.

"Young Mister West," Rival smiled with cold amusement. "The fact he was named for Jay Garrick made killing him all the sweeter."

Vox shrugged casually. "Any luck finding out where the hell Enchantress went to?" she asked her companions as they advanced on the government building.

"She'll be here when we need her," Roulette said firmly, silently adding, 'I hope.'

The voice echoed in her mind, 'You have done well so far, little one.'

'About time you contacted me again,' Roulette answered with amusement.

'I've been a little busy,' there was a gentle mocking in the tone.

'Of course,' Roulette answered dryly. 'You know, it would be nice to have a name to call you,' she added, 'if only to convince me that I'm not talking to myself.'

There was a moment of silence. 'You may call me... Cylene,' she finally said.

'So why are you contacting me now?' Roulette asked.

'A-ko and her allies are expanding the League,' Cylene explained seriously, Roulette seeing the mental image of a delicate blonde 'you may need to look into expanding your own ranks to match.'

'Thank you,' Roulette answered.

'You're welcome,' and with that Cylene's voice and presence faded away.

"You have the oddest look on your face," Metallix said as Roulette became aware of the world around her.

"Our sponsor contacted me," Roulette ran a hand through her hair, "it seems that the Justice League has been busy recruiting."

"Then I guess we'll just have to step up our own efforts," Scarecrow said casually as she tapped a device to activate the fear-bombs that had been planted in the building earlier. In seconds screams and fear filled cries rang out, then the front doors burst open and people streamed outside, running right by the group of women.

"What did you do to them?" Vox raised an eyebrow, looking without pity at the pale, tear streaked faces of the men and women.

"Claustrophobia," Scarecrow explained simply, "along with the fear that their air might be running out if they stayed indoors."

"Nasty," Metallix calmly ripped the front doors off and lead the others inside the building. All her teammates slipped air filters on, but the living metal woman had little fear of poisonous gasses.

"So why are we hitting a little FBI office out in Nebraska, anyway?" Rival asked coldly.

"All the FBI offices are on the same secure network," Vox informed her, "so we can use this office to hack into the others for criminal datafiles we might need." She smiled coldly, "Not to mention implanting a virus into the federal systems."

Rival nodded slightly, her eyes crinkling in amusement. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy seeing what all of this does," she answered.

"Do you have any suggestions for new recruits?" Scarecrow asked as they went upstairs, found a computer terminal and let Metallix get to work. It was eerie to see, the way that her hands distended, flowing into the computer as she interfaced directly with the systems.

"Nyssa, the daughter of the Demon's Head," Roulette answered crisply, "she's a power in her own right, as well as holding part of her fathers empire."

"Sounds good," Metallix agreed. She cocked her head to the side, "Have you considered the new Prometheus?"

"Too unpredictable," Vox spoke up from where she was keeping an eye out at the window, "not to mention the rumors that she plays both sides of the law."

"Didn't know that," Rival noted. She smiled coldly, "There is another being who might be useful, the Silver Banshee."

"To use against Supergirl," Roulette nodded thoughtfully, "we'll have to look into it." she looked to Metallix, who was smirking, "How's it going?"

"I've downloaded the DEO, FBI and police files on active superbeings," Metallix informed them as she pulled free, "and the virus has been unleashed."

"That was fast," Scarecrow said crisply. Her eyes glittered with an odd kind of intensity as she asked, "Do they list the subject's... fears?"

"I'll download what they've got onto a disk for you," Metallix paused as alarms rang out again, "later. Shall we see what's going on?"

Roulette smiling grimly, "Vox, care to make us a shortcut?"

Vox put her hand on the wall, nodding slightly. "Cover your ears," she commanded and began to scream. It started as a low sound, vibrating the bones then swiftly rose to a wail that staggered the women around her. The wall she directed that sound at crumbled in seconds, the outer wall beyond that only holding up a few seconds longer.

Rival raced out first, the female superspeedster dropping men and women in the police detachment faster than the eye could possibly see. In a moment nearly eight of the officers were down, blood splattering them from the viscous blows she had struck.

"Aw, she didn't leave anything for us," Metallix complained as she lead the way out.

"I'll remind her to save us a few next time," Roulette said dryly, shaking her head.

Once the group reached the impatiently waiting Rival Vox curiously asked her, "Did you have to kill any of them?"

"They're small change," Rival wiped her red gloves off smoothly, "no need." A smile, "Now if they were Flash or Impulse..."

"Don't get distracted too much by your personal agenda," Scarecrow reminded her.

There was a feeling of electricity in the air, almost a breathless anticipation, then with a crack of thunder the air split. Enchantress floated down from where she had appeared, her black cloak flowing over the white business suit she now wore. "I'm ready to take you to the base," the black haired sorceress said, the madness in her eyes showing little sign of the heroine known as Zatanna.

"Then let's go," Roulette said wryly.

To be continued...


	27. 25

A gathering of angels

A-ko rose, smiling, the Supergirl uniform flowing over her graceful form. "I'd like to call this meeting of the Justice League to order," she said gravely, "and introduce the new members we were talking about earlier. From the Justice Society as well as being a former leaguer, I'd like to introduce Lyta Hall, the latest Dr. Fate."

"I'm honored you'd have me," Lyta said, her distinctive blue and gold uniform gleaming, "and I have some information to pass on, too."

"And here is Orin of Atlantis," A-ko hesitated, "what do you want to be called, by the way?"

Orin shook his head, red hair falling into amused eyes. "I suppose I'm stuck with Aqualad," he said, "don't hold it against me, please."

"We'll try not to," D-ko smiled, handing out snacks before taking a seat, the blonde battle robot looking on with interest.

"So what's the information?" Kestrel asked intently, studying Fate thoughtfully.

"According to Madame Xanadu there is a great evil coming," Dr. Fate addressed the League, "not from Earth, but spawned here somehow. Arising from the twin daughters of light and shadow, reaching out in conquest from the stars."

"That's helpful," A-ko blinked, her red hair falling into her eyes. She frowned, "Does the lady always talk in riddles?"

"From what I've heard, yes," Oracle answered wryly, the younger woman sitting in one of the chairs at the circular meeting table. More often than not the Oracle program was using her robotic bodies, something the league members were still getting used to. She smiled as she looked over at Green Lantern and softly said, "Nicely done, convincing her to join."

"Thank you," Kyla Scott blushed faintly, her green hair falling into her eyes. The green uniform clung to her body, the power ring glimmering on her finger.

Flash fought back a smile, sipping at a drink through a straw. The red clad speedster sat nearby Firestorm, talking with the young man as they compared notes about their respective missions. "Do we know who the twin daughters might be?" she asked, sandy hair falling into her eyes as her cowl lay against her neck.

Sitting in the chair that belonged to Aquaman the Atlantian Orin looked around in awe. "Sorry," he said with a shrug.

"Could be almost anyone," Firestorm offered, red and gold flames dancing around his head. The oddly unearthly look that the hero had was emphasized by his white eyes and the smooth androgyny of his body.

Steel leaned forward, her armor gleaming. "This all began with C-ko's kidnapping," the blue haired aristocrat offered, "she might be one of the daughters."

"Or maybe not," Kestrel murmured, her expression thoughtful, "maybe she's just connected to them." The black and purple costume gave her a grim aspect, coupled with a manner that she deliberately echoed from Batman.

"You have an idea?" J'onn J'onzz asked, the green skinned alien looking at her curiously. He maintained a mostly human look for the convenience of his friends and allies, but the Martian Manhunter clearly wasn't human.

"You mind if I talk about...," Kestrel looked at Steel.

Steel frowned, then her eyes widened. "Yes," she murmured, looking mildly stunned by the idea that Kestrel had suggested to her.

"As most of you know Supergirl is the daughter of Superman, one of the greatest forces of good in this century," Kestrel said quietly, "while Steel is the granddaughter of Lex Luthor, one of the century's greatest villains."

"You think they're the daughters of light and shadow?" Dr. Fate raised a delicate eyebrow, her white hair flowing around her face.

"It fits, almost disturbingly so," Steel quietly acknowledged, "but I still don't get how C-ko factors into the threat?"

"I almost wish I had met this C-ko," Kyla confided to Iris West, "at least I could have done a scan with my ring and determined exactly where she came from."

"Too bad you can't use the ring to travel back and time and do so," Flash sighed. Iris took another drink, "The Guardians forbade that, right?"

"After everything happened with Parallax, yeah," Kyla agreed.

"No point crying over the past," Oracle said firmly. She hesitated, "I suppose I should also inform you about what I've been doing..."

"Oh?" J'onn looked curious.

"Much like my human incarnation did with the Birds of Prey I've begun to organize a network of aides and informants," Oracle explained. She smiled slightly, "I'm hoping I can get some leads on our new adversaries, too."

"The Injustice League, yes." Kestel frowned. She smiled slightly grimly, "I've prepared a short briefing, for what it's worth."

"Already?" Supergirl blinked in surprise.

"We have some eye witness reports," Kestrel answered modestly, "it wasn't that hard."

"Give us what you have," Oracle agreed, "I'll fill in any blanks I can."

A image appeared, a redheaded woman in a gambling outfit. "Roulette appears to be the leader," Kestrel said, "and may have been responsible for the breakout at the Fortress, too. Her primary ability is to alter probabilities, much like her mother Hazard."

"Rival," a man wearing a replica of the golden age Flash' costume, "sorry to say I don't have a current photo. A super speedster who challenged Jay Garrick he was destroyed, absorbed into the speedforce. In modern times he returned as a energy being, possessing speedsters."

"And we know Rival is in a female body," Oracle added.

"Metallix," the silver metal woman's image appeared, "an old acquaintance of ours. The daughter of Mentallo, apparently, and possessed of metal-shifting abilities of her own. Also notoriously mentally unstable, liable to turn on allies as well as her enemies."

"Thinking about how to use that?" A-ko asked.

"I always try to consider the tactical possibilities," Kestel shrugged. A black clad blonde appeared on the screen, "Vox, a career criminal and assassin. She possesses a powerful sonic attack, one that has a broad range of effects on the human body."

Oracle waited a moment for more details then sighed softly, "What Kestrel isn't mentioning is that Vox is Allison Queen, the biological daughter of Black Canary and Green Arrow."

"How the...," Flash blurted.

"Dinah and Ollie had a liaison when she and Babs hit a rough patch," Oracle said grimly, "she put the baby up for adoption without telling Babs originally."

"That must have been a bombshell when Barbara found out," Kyla murmured.

"You have no idea," Kestrel said, "I thought Babs was going to kick Dinah out, she was that upset." She paused, "They tried their best to find Allison, but it was years before she turned up."

"Could we please move on?" Oracle asked softly.

"Scarecrow," Kestrel smiled wryly, "Dr. Lisa Tyler." The black haired woman in a white lab-coat looked deceptively mild, somehow, as Kestrel explained, "I've tangled with her a few times, she's perfected the fear chemicals and methods the first Scarecrow used."

"I understand that the new Catwoman is also after her," J'onn noted, "we might be able to use her help, too."

"Last and possibly the most powerful," the black haired sorceress dressed in black, almost Goth clothing appeared as Kestrel explained, "is the Enchantress, once Zatanna. Possessed by a dark occult force her sorcery has grow over time her only limitations being visualization and her reliance on spoken spells."

"They're a powerful group," Supergirl said then A-ko smiled, "but we're stronger and outnumber them."

"Want to bet that doesn't last?" B-ko sighed.

To be continued...


	28. 26

Mothers' Day

Lena Luthor offered a cup of tea, the redheaded woman smiling shyly at the young women sitting across from her. B-ko took her own glass, smiling back as she pushed her long blue hair back then she whispered to her companion, "Relax."

"Easy for you to say," Helena Wayne muttered, her black hair carefully styled and her clothes perfectly neat. Officially she was here as a Justice Leaguer, enlisting Lena and Lexcorp's help in the planned defense of Earth... but this was also her girlfriend's mother.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Wayne," Lena continued from where she sat on a comfortable chair in her little office, "I've heard a lot about you."

Helena sat beside B-ko on the couch, meeting those eyes confidently. "Thank you," she answered, "I've been looking forward to this."

"We'd best handle business first," B-ko offered, wearing one of her better outfits, a off the shoulder number bought in Paris. To her credit it hadn't been bought merely for the designer or label, but instead because it suited her well.

"All right," Lena said agreeably. She looked at Helena and point blank asked, "What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Helena nearly choked on her tea.

"That's not the business I meant!" B-ko blurted.

"Too bad," Lena murmured, taking another drink of her tea as a impish little smile was teasing at her lips.

Helena took a breath, her cheeks reddish. "As you may know there's been a spike of criminal activity, especially with the so-called Injustice Gang," she explained, "we now believe this may be a prelude to a alien invasion."

"How can I help?" Lena asked directly.

B-ko grinned in relief, drinking from her cup. "I know that Lexcorp built several orbital platforms over the years," she said, "we might need to use them as staging bases if all this gets big and crazy enough."

"Done," Lena nodded, "have you considered reactivating the last JLA Embassy, too? It could make a good meeting place."

"Security is a problem," Helena said with a frown, "I'd hate to gather so many superhumans there and have someone drop a nuke on us."

"You are occasionally paranoid, love," B-ko sighed.

"She's right, though," Lena coolly pointed out, "I suppose meeting up at the Watchtower would be more secure."

"Thank you," Helena smiled slightly.

"Don't mention it," Lena smiled back.

"Speaking of the Watchtower," B-ko took a compact device from her pocket and passed it over, "this is one of our signal devices, you can use it to teleport up in an emergency."

"Do you really think this is necessary?" Lena blinked, carefully turning the small metal wristband over in her hands..

"Our enemies have at least one member who is a former member of the League," Helena said calmly, "it's best not to take chances."

Lena hesitated a moment, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I have a partner," she said quietly, "would there be a problem if I brought... her with me?"

There was a moment of silence as B-ko and Helena exchanged a amused glance, then B-ko grinned and said, "No, I don't think there'll be a problem." She paused before asking her gently, "Have we met her?"

"She's the one who escorted you in here," Lena said with a shy smile.

"Your assistant, Jessica?" Helena blinked, thinking of the pretty young redhead.

"We've been together for a few years," Lena admitted, "before I hired her, actually."

"I'm glad," B-ko smiled, putting her hand on her mother's for a moment.

Lena looked over at Helena with an intense look, "Getting back to my original question... what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"You're not giving up, are you?" Helena sighed.

"Mother, please," B-ko chided her, putting her hand on Helena's.

"No, she's right," Helena gave B-ko a gentle smile, then looked at the older woman. "I'm in love with your daughter," she said firmly, "I'd never do anything to hurt her."

"Then I approve," Lena said warmly.

"Helena," B-ko surprised her with a fierce hug, holding the other woman close.

"So," Lena continued, watching the blushing Helena a moment, "when are you two planning on getting married?"

"Married!" both Helena and B-ko blurted.

In another part of the world the tall blonde paused as she reached the door, her simple one piece costume fitting her like a second skin. She nodded to the bouncer, the infamous mercenary Grace Choi, who smiled in return.

"Good to see you Canary," the tattooed amazon said, then Grace looked at her thoughtfully. "No trouble tonight, please."

"Would I do something like that?" Dinah Lance-Gordon, the heroine once known as Black Canary, smiled at her impishly.

"In a minute," Grace answered calmly, swinging the door open to Clark's bar.

Clark's was a seedier version of the Warriors club, a nightspot intended for superhumans. Unlike Warriors it served heroes and villains, a strict rule of neutrality maintained by the owner/operators like the formidable grace and her lover, Thunder.

The bar was packed as usual, both old-school types and many of the younger breed talking and drinking together. Dinah casually made her way through the bar, reaching one of the private rooms at the back. Opening the door she walked up to the table, sitting down with a sigh.

"Rough day, mom?" the intense looking blonde asked, giving her mother a wry glance.

"Don't start, Allison," Dinah answered.

Allison Queen smiled as she drank from her pitcher of beer, sitting back with a happy sigh. "Don't worry," she said, "my associates don't know I'm here."

"Well the knew I was visiting will go around," Dinah noted, "but everyone in the community knows I like to hit Clarks for a private drink."

"What does Babs think?" Allison asked.

"Officially I think she disapproves," Dinah answered, "but she understands that I need some time alone, too." She hesitated, "Do you want to keep going? I think we can pull you out if needed."

Allison shook her head, "No, we went to too much trouble to set me up undercover. I'd hate to waste all that effort."

"But even the Justice League doesn't know about this," Dinah reminded her, "you'll be in danger from both sides."

"I've been doing this a few years now," Allison reminded her, "and I've been targeted a few times by people on both sides of the law." She took a drink, "Does Helena know?"

"She only knows the cover story," Dinah said glumly, "that you hate my guts."

Allison chuckled, "Thank god I grew out of it." She looked off into the distance, "I haven't got much to report, sorry to say. Roulette seems to be answering to someone or something else, but who or why I don't know."

"There may be an alien connection to all this," Dinah cautioned, "at least according to information Babs got from the Oracle system."

"I'll keep it in mind," Allison agreed. She got up, laying money on the table as she added, "I'll contact you the usual way."

"Good luck," Dinah hesitated, "I love you, kid."

"You too, mom."

To be continued...


	29. Interlude: Speed Dating

Speed Dating

Faster than most vehicles the red clad figure zipped across the city of Keystone, then seemed to disappear as the Flash finally came to a stop. The red costume was shed in less than a blink of an eye then Iris West laughed, the sandy haired young woman walking over to her fridge at a much more normal pace.

"Oh my god, I actually have a date," Iris laughed as she fetched a soda, a real spring in the jeans clad lady's step.

As the Flash she didn't date much, for several reasons. Most of the men she ended up meeting were either criminals or cops, neither of which were her type, or fellow superheroes. Sadly most of the members of the new Justice League were women, and while most of them were also lesbians, it wasn't exactly her style.

Cracking open her pop Iris chuckled to herself, sitting down in one of her living room chairs. "Well, there was that time Lady Midnight got me drunk at the Justice Society," she remembered that night fondly, "but that's about it."

Soon after Flash joined the League she and her friend Kyla, the modern Green Lantern, had gone to New York to recruit Firestorm, one of the local heroes and she had been instantly charmed by him. Despite the unearthly white eyes and fire for hair the young man came across as a good guy, one that Iris wanted to get to know better...

0o0o0

The latest meeting up at the Justice League Watchtower had just come to a close as they grabbed some coffee and snacks, members moving off to talk together. Firestorm had lingered by a window, gazing out at the Moon's surface silently. Mustering her courage Flash had walked up, "What are you thinking about?"

"Only a week ago I was fighting bad guys in New York," Firestorm smiled, his red and gold uniform hugging a slim body, "now I'm on the moon preparing to fight off the Injustice Gang and a possible alien invasion. It's a bit much to absorb."

Iris felt a sudden burst of sympathy for him. "I know what you mean," she admitted as she pushed the red cowl of her costume back to reveal her sandy hair, "the level of strangeness in this life does take some getting used to."

"Have you been doing this long?" Firestorm asked her curiously.

"Couple of years now," Flash shrugged, "I started out as Kid Flash shortly after my powers first manifested." A laugh, "It was a goofy outfit, but I liked it."

"So why did you move on to being the Flash?" Firestorm looked at her thoughtfully.

Flash hesitated a moment then she quietly admitted, "I just thought I should, especially after my father died."

Firestorm visibly winced. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't know."

"It's all right, not many people do," Iris put her hand on his arm with a gentle smile.

"I know what it's like to inherit a heroic legacy," Firestorm said to her quietly, "it can be quite a burden at times."

"Very true," Iris agreed, knowing that most of the new League would agree with him.

Firestorm looked out the window, seemingly searching his thoughts then he asked, "Are you busy later tonight?"

A faint blush colored Iris's cheeks. "Well no, unless the Rogues or something hits the city," she said as casually as possible.

Firestorm smiled, "I've enjoyed talking with you, I was wondering if we could go hit Warriors or something and continue this."

"In costume or out?" Iris asked, curious about how the young man really looked. Firestorm hesitated and Iris quickly added, "It's okay, I shouldn't have asked."

Firestorm smiled slightly, "No, it's all right, I need to trust you and the other Leaguers eventually. When did you want to meet?"

Iris grinned, "How about seven?"

"All right," Firestorm moved off, "I'll see you there." He waved good-bye to a few others then headed off down the hall towards the teleporters, and guiltily Iris found herself looking admiringly at his very nice butt.

0o0o0

Iris finished dressing, her long pants and stylish top accented with gold earrings and a simple necklace. She would have liked to have worn a skirt, maybe, but Iris had to keep in mind the possibility there might be an emergency of some kind. She could pull on the Speed Force to create a costume as needed, but doing it while wearing a skirt would be a problem.

Checking the time Iris decided it was time to go, so with a burst of speed she locked up the apartment and was gone. Keystone was a old fashioned city, not that far from New York, and with her natural speed the bar was only seconds away, even with a detour to pull a cat out of a tree.

Warriors was busy as usual, the corner night club having a line going around the corner. Of course the door-woman recognized any superheroes in or out of costume, the android quickly waving them inside. Passing beneath the neon sign Iris nodded, "Good evening, Mechanique."

The golden skinned android nodded in return, "Good Evening, Miss West." Mechanique smiled slightly, her movements casual as she opened the door, "I understand it's been a while since you've visited the club."

"I'll try to more often," Iris said as she went by.

The club was busy, a brightly colored homage to the great battles of superheroes. There where replica weapons from the Invasion in one section, several deactivated Manhunter robots, Amazon armor and weapons, Green Arrow's trick arrows, a DEO badge and many other unique items on display all around the room.

"Hey, Iris," Guy Guardner waved as she walked up to the busy bar, "it's been awhile." The muscular man had a bit of gray in his buzz-cut but his part alien heritage had helped keep him youthful looking and fit.

"Considering Kyla no longer works here," Iris said dryly, "I have no other reason to put up with your wandering hands."

"Ouch," Guy laughed as he pulled a mug of her favorite beer then passed it over. "Your friend is in the Green Lantern lounge, an' I hope you have fun."

"Thanks," Iris took the beer, then headed off through the press of people. "At least Firestorm didn't pick the Flash section,' she thought with some amusement.

The Green Lantern Lounge was guarded by another deactivated Manhunter, lit by replicas of the Green Lantern power batteries. Going by a statue of Hal Jordan Iris scanned the tables, surprised only to see a dark red haired young woman waiting.

"Iris," the lady waved, "over here."

Iris walked over, studying the young woman thoughtfully. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically, "do I know you?"

She offered her hand, "I'm Rebecca Raymond." She smiled a bit wryly, "I guess it would be better if I just showed you."

Rebecca got up and closed her eyes in concentration, a shimmering glow building all around her body. With a burst of light she transformed in a instant, a nearly completely different person standing there. Firestorm gave her a faintly apologetic look, the strangely white eyes sympathetic, then in another burst of power reverted to Rebecca.

"Oh my god," Iris dropped limply into a seat, only her fast reflexes saving her from spilling some of her mug of beer.

Rebecca sat down at her own seat, looking into her drink with some embarrassment as she softly said, "I'm sorry."

Iris took a moment to collect her thoughts the admitted, "I can't decide if I should feel stupid, angry or just amused by it all."

Rebecca shook her head, "This is part of why I don't like making friends as Firestorm... the sort of confusion that comes up."

A very disturbing thought occurred to Iris and she found herself asking, "Do you actually become male as Firestorm?"

"No, that would be a little too odd," Rebecca admitted, "I seem to be genderless."

"Is this why you kept your identity a secret from the rest of the group?" Iris asked.

"Yes, and to protect my adoptive family," Rebecca said. She left her drink as she got up, walking to the entrance, "I think I've wierded you out, I'd better go."

Iris reached out to grasp Rebecca's hand, smiling up at her. "I'm a bit shaken," she admitted, "but I don't want you to go."

Rebecca studied her a moment then returned to her seat. "All right," she took a drink, smiling across the table at Iris, "should we get dinner?"

"I'd like that," Iris said.

To be continued...


	30. 27

Prelude to War: Earthfall

They spotted the first ships on the Watchtower sensors at the edge of the solar system, quickly identifying and sorting the various vessels. There were an astonishing mix of craft, from a dozen worlds including Dominators, Khunds, Thangar, Tamaranean and many more, all battered and showing signs of battle.

"Space task force," Kyla Scott said, the Green Lantern of Earth leading a mix of space based heroes away from Earth's orbit to meet the incoming fleet, "let's see what's going on."

J'onn Jonnz' voice echoed in their minds as the green skinned Martian Manhunter said, "I'm only picking up fear and terror in the incoming ships, not aggression."

"That's comforting," Captain Atom said, his silvery skin gleaming.

"I'm getting distress transmissions on multiple frequencies," Steel reported, B-ko's heavy space armor gleaming, "many of the ships are on their last legs."

"All right, we'll intercept the ships and guide them into orbits around the moon," Supergirl took charge, her only concession for the rigors of space a simple breathing mask. She smiled at the questioning looks, "We don't want a panic on Earth, which is what would happen if all these ships took up orbits there."

Using the Green Lantern power ring, telepathy and standard communications the team quickly began guiding ships into taking up positions in Lunar orbit, even as heroes provided emergency aide. Power ring bubbles maintained atmosphere in badly damaged ships, emergency welds and other repairs keeping them safe for now.

Of course, something had to go wrong.

"Too badly damaged..." they heard over a sputtering communications system as the Thangaran warship barreled by the startled heroes, it's engines flaring wildly as it vented atmosphere, unable to change it's course. Swiftly the heroes tried to intercept it, power ring constructs and physical power slowing it's wild pace but they were unable to stop it.

Oracle spoke calmly from her station within the Watchtower base, reporting, "I'm plotting it's course, it's going to splash down in the Atlantic ocean." A short pause, "I'm dispatching Aqualad, Mecha and Mermaid to assist."

Beneath the sea Orin smiled slightly, the red headed Atlantean swimming easily to where the ship had impacted to the ocean floor. 'My first mission with the JLA,' he mused, 'I wonder if I'll always get the sea jobs?'

"We'll reach the ship in moments," Mecha reported, the golden skinned robot jetting through the water via engines mounted on her back and feet.

"I'm surprised I was called in," Mermaid said mildly, the half Atlantean woman moving through the water like a shark with her fish's tail, "considering I'm a member of the Ultramarines." The blonde haired woman had been taken captive by the notorious mad scientist Dr. Sivana years ago, his experiments leaving her with enhanced powers but also her more fishlike traits.

Orin smiled back wryly, "I think that Supergirl doesn't really care about what team you're on, if she needs your help, she asks."

Mermaid chuckled as they plunged deeper into the depths, tail fluttering gracefully as she murmured, "I noticed."

The ship lay on a broken section of reef, air bubbling out of it ominously as it took on water. The Thangaran warship looked much like a bird of prey, even with all of the damage, a wounded hawk waiting for care.

"I'm picking up lifesigns," Mecha reported as she scanned the wreck, "but they're very weak." A pause, "I can probably project a forcefield around it, keep more water from getting in, then we can try to pull the passengers out."

"There might be another way," Orin offered, "let me try."

The red haired young man concentrated, liquid swirling around his hands, then the water literally pulled back from the vessel, forming a bubble around it. Water concentrated below the battered ship, quickly solidifying into a hard shelf beneath it, then slowly began to lift the vessel up towards the surface.

"You can create solid water?" Mermaid said in awe as they followed the ship up to the surface, "That's incredible."

"A gift I inherited from my mother," Orin said distractedly, most of his attention focused on the ship and raising it safely.

They broke the surface, the ship resting on the top of the sea as in a flash of light Green Lantern arrived. "We haven't had a chance to check on the pilot," Mecha called as she used her thrusters to launch herself out of the water, quickly converting to flight mode.

Kyla slapped a green platform underneath it to take the weight off the visibly tiring Orin, then they gathered at the main hatch. "No response," she murmured as she tapped the open switch, "I guess I'll have to use the ring..."

CLACK!

The hatch shuddered then jerked up as the passenger opened it, smoke billowing out from within the vessel. The pilot staggered out, coughing as her red hair spilled from the back of the hawklike helm she wore, her Thangaran military uniform battered and burned.

Pulling off her helm the beautiful young woman smiled grimly, her brown eyes narrowing. "My name is Katar Thal," she introduced herself tiredly, "and I hope you're the Justice League, or we're all in trouble." And with that she flopped over in a dead faint, D-ko barely moving fast enough to catch her.

"We'd better get her up to the Watchtower," Orin blinked, "does anyone know who she is?"

"I do, maybe," Kyla blinked.

"I'd love to stick around," Mermaid said with a half smile, "but I think my fellow Ultramarines could use an update." She smiled right at Orin, "If you need any more help, just ask handsome." With that she was gone, sliding away beneath the sea with a splash of her tail.

"I think she likes you," Mecha said impishly as the teleporter activated, in an instant sending them to a large chamber in the Watchtower's hangar bays.

"Just leave it alone," Orin muttered, blushing.

Not long after, members of the Justice League gathered to confirm notes. Kestrel and Oracle had organized the eight vessels in parking orbits around the moon, providing supplies and resources for the damages ships,. All had similar stories, the crews refugees fleeing a powerful invasion force made up of different war-like races.

"Apparently," Helena Wayne said from where she sat at the meeting table, her black hair slicked down a bit from being under her Kestrel costume's cowl, "most of these ships are from races that actually signed on with the invasion. They disagreed and were either imprisoned or attacked, hence their decision to bolt."

"The ships are spaceworthy," B-ko reported tiredly, her blue hair flowing in a wave over her shoulders, "but they've been through the wars. We'll need to provide additional supplies and repairs if we want them to stay up there for any length of time."

"Do you think..?" Helena looked at her curiously.

"Lexcorp has already pledged to help," B-ko smiled wryly thinking of her short conversation with her mother, "though I think she's just eager to get a look at those ship's technology."

"Good enough," A-ko nodded, red hair flowing. She looked to Orin, D-ko and Kyla, "So what about our splashdown?"

"She collapsed almost as soon as we got her out of her ship," D-ko revealed, "J'onn is in sickbay with her now."

"Her name is Katar Thal, a Thangarian soldier," Kyla Scott said seriously, "if I'm right about the name, I think she's related to Shayera Thal, who for a while was called Hawkwoman."

"She's my mother," the tired voice said. Looking up they saw Katar standing in the doorway, leaning on J'onn for support and wearing just a medical robe. "I hate to interrupt," she sighed, "but you need to hear this now."

A chair was brought over and the woman nearly collapsed into her seat. "You should be resting," A-ko said, "you're in no shape..."

"Warworld is coming," Katar cut her off, "an entire planet built for combat, armed and armored to be nearly undefeatable." She took a breath, "They have warriors from a dozen species, as well as leaders who seem even more powerful than anything I've seen."

"How long until they arrive?" Helena demanded.

"A week, maybe more," Katar answered, "they seem to be taking their time."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. "I have some more bad news," Kyla said grimly, "after we saw the ships inbound, I contacted the Green Lantern Corps." Feeling their eyes on her she continued, "Green Lanterns from nearby sectors have disappeared without warning, I assume trying to fight this Warworld."

"Then I guess we'll just have to step up our preparations," B-ko said grimly.

"Flash is earthside along with Firestorm," Oracle noted, "I'll page them again."

"I wonder if their date went better than expected?" Kyla murmured, getting some surprised chuckles from the others.

"Helena?" Oracle asked softly, getting the attention of the young heroine. "I ran through the databases of the ships and found something important."

"Yes?" Helena looked curious.

"Your biological mother, Nightstar, is aboard the Tamaran refugee ship," Oracle revealed.

To be continued...


	31. 28

Prelude to War: Reunion

"Are you all right?" B-ko asked as the tall, blue haired woman took her lover aside. She had seen Kestrel's face seem to shut down while talking with Oracle and figured there just might be trouble coming.

"I don't know," Helena confessed, her black hair slicked back, "it appears my mother is aboard one of the ships you rescued."

B-ko's eyes widened, "The one who abandoned you? It must have been a surprise."

Helena nodded, "To be honest I don't know how I feel about it right now."

Oracle walked into the room, the redheaded android leading several alien representatives from the ships that were now orbiting the moon. The Dominators were eerie, thin yellow skinned figures with the trademark red risks on their elongated heads. followed by the troll like Khund warriors. One by one aliens trooped in, but their eyes were drawn to a golden skinned woman, her armored costume battered but her red eyes narrowed with pride.

"Blackfire," Supergirl murmured, A-ko's frown evident.

"Who?" Orin blinked, the redheaded young man giving their leader a curious look.

"Komand'r, she's the Queen of Tamaran," Kyla said quietly, "and tangled with the Teen Titans several times while trying to kill her sister, Starfire."

"Sounds like a winner," D-ko murmured, the robot girl looking worried.

"It gets worse," Katar Hol said coldly, the reddish-haired Hawkwoman glaring towards Blackfire, "she murdered my mother during the Rann/Thangar war."

"You aren't going to...?" Orin asked her softly.

"No, not now," Katar shook her head grimly, "not here at least."

"Welcome to the Watchtower," Supergirl addressed the group formally, "my name is Supergirl and I lead the Justice League. How can we help?"

"Repair our ssshipsss," the Dominator hissed out, "we musst flee thiss doomed world."

"We were hoping you'd consider offering help," Helena said coldly, the cowl of her Kestrel uniform back in place.

The Knund snorted his amusement, looking up at them. "Earth's warriors proved their valor when we attempted to invade years ago," he said, "but defeating Warworld is beyond even you."

"The Khund is right," Komand'r gave him a disdainful look, "the Almeracians who lead Warworld now are far more powerful than you can imagine."

J'onn J'onnz frowned, the tall green skinned Martian studying her intently. "As a precaution I did a low level mind scan as you all entered the room," he rumbled, "you know more about Warworld than you're saying."

Komand'r gave J'onn a glare, "How dare you!"

"Considering your well known reputation for treachery, it seemed to be only prudent," J'onn replied calmly.

"How dare you," Komand'r raised her hands, energy building around them... right before Kestrel slugged her, sending the queen to the floor spitting blood.

"Don't even think about it," Kestrel said coldly, "or I promise you that you'll regret it."

Komand'r picked herself up with as much dignity as she could. "Who are you, Earther?" she asked coldly.

Kestrel hesitated then drew her cowl back. "Helena Wayne," she answered simply, "your grand-niece, I believe."

Komand'r gaped at her, for once completely surprised.

"At least now we know for sure that it's Almerac involved with this," Kyla Scott commented, enjoying the respect that the Green Lantern uniform. It was clear that at least some of the aliens would have liked to throw their weight around, but their respect for the office was stopping them.

ZZZWHIISH! In a burst of speed Flash arrived, a red and gold streak. "So," Iris West asked eagerly, "what'd I miss?"

"Alien refugees and nearly a fist fight," Kyla summarized. She gave Iris a curious look, "So how did the date go with Firestorm?"

"Pretty good," Iris blushed.

"Oh ho!" Kyla grinned over at her old friend impishly and asked, "So you spent the night together? How was he?

Iris looked away, "We did not sleep together, damn it."

"Somehow I doubt that," Kyla teased.

"Besides, she's too much of a gentleman to sleep together on the first date," Iris added with a fond little smile.

"She!" Kyla blurted. She gave Iris a thoughtful look, "I thought that you didn't go that way!"

A brighter blush colored Iris' cheeks as she said, "It's a long story."

"Does anyone know where Dr. Fate is?" D-ko asked curiously, "I thought she'd answer the emergency call when we picked up the ships."

There was a shimmer in the air, almost as if the fabric of space itself were being folded and in a swirl of golden cloth Dr. Fate appeared, her blue and gold uniform gleaming. She wore a simple, ankh inscribed circlet on her brow and beads of gold were braided with longer strands of her white hair. "My apologies," she said seriously, "Black Adam and Lady Marvel were fighting again and I and several others had to step in."

"Makes sense," Supergirl admitted. She hesitated, "I don't suppose you could just magic the damaged vessels back together...?"

"Sorry," Fate shook her head, "my powers are more combat oriented."

Komand'r was studying Helena thoughtfully, a hand pressed to the corner of her mouth to stop the flow of blood. "You do carry a resemblance to your mother," she conceded softly.

"J'onn was asking about Warworld," Helena asked as she ignored that comment.

Komand'r nodded slightly as she said, "The Almeracians have transformed themselves in a disgusting manner. Their men are dead and they now procreate via technology."

"All of them?" Supergirl's eyes narrowed, thinking of the ship full of women that had tried to retrieve C-ko in the past.

"Yes," Komand'r said grimly, "and they have enhanced their elite with genetic material taken from the races they have defeated." A pause, "You can't imagine how powerful they are, now."

"That doesn't sound good," Katar said bleakly.

"Indeed, Hawkgirl," Komand'r answered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Who is in their elite?" Oracle stepped in before Katar did something violent. "I'd love to put a name to our enemy."

"They're still led by the queen of Almerac, Maxima," Komand'r said as a faint smile tugged at her lips, "and her beloved daughter, the princess Cylene."

B-ko stopped what she was doing on hearing that name, a sudden chill landing in her gut. Supergirl seemed to have a similar reaction, A-ko exchanging a gaze with B-ko. "Do you have a image of this Cylene?" Oracle asked, wondering at the two women's reaction.

"Yesss," a Dominator hissed, activating a small holographic unit. The blue eyed blonde who appeared was beautiful, her face open and sunny as she smiled. She was well shaped, full breasts and hips beneath her simple jumpsuit and a cloak swirled around her.

Almost as soon as Cylene's image appeared A-ko and B-ko gasped, both women looking like they'd been punched in the gut. "What?" Helena demanded.

"I think," A-ko said in a voice numb with surprise, "that may be C-ko."

To be continued...


	32. 29

Prelude to War: Earthside

Director Cameron Chase of the DEO ran for her office, her graying blonde hair blown back by her movement. "Ma'am, communication lines have already been set up with Checkmate and the Suicide Squad, as well as the head of Task Force X," her secretary, Lina Terril said crisply.

"Thank you," Cameron nodded as she opened the office door, "also, try to signal General Rock. We'll need to coordinate with the US military on this, too."

"Yes ma'am," Lina nodded as she went to work.

Cameron sat behind her desk, bringing her desktop computer on line as she shrugged her suit jacket off. "All right people, we've seen the reports," she said crisply, "alien ships are here, and according to a briefing released by the JLA there's more coming."

The leader of Task Force X and head of covert superhuman activities in the US sat back in the shadows. "How are each of your groups preparing?" he asked, his voice a gravelly rumble.

Amanda Waller was still a impressive figure, the dusky skinned old woman's suit jacket carrying the black king emblem of Checkmate. Beside her Donna Troy was as youthful looking as ever, the heroine called Troia designated the white king. "We've been covertly contacting superhuman programs internationally," Troia said calmly, "we're hoping to bring their various operatives into the field on our side."

"Black side agents are ready to move out to counter terrorist attempts taking advantage of the chaos of a invasion," Waller said flatly. A grim smile, "Our sanction of Kobra seems to have crippled them, but the Demon's Head is still operating along with several others."

"DEO is assembling files on the aliens sighted so far," Cameron said respectfully, "as well as investigating intelligence sources earthside. We're also subjecting Oracle's briefing to data analysis for possible falsehoods."

"Is that really necessary?" their leader rumbled.

"I know you trust Oracle sir," Cameron kept her voice respectful, "but my encounters with her have been less than pleasant."

"Fair enough," he admitted.

"The Suicide Squad is ready to deploy as needed," Belle Scott said, once the former supervillain Plastique as well as the current wife of Nathaniel Adam aka Cameron Scott. "We've got several field teams prepared using standard methods to keep them in line," the orange haired woman added with some barely hidden distaste.

"Exploding wristbands?" Amanda nodded thoughtfully as she said, "Best way to keep criminals in line."

"Best way to convince people to back stab you, too," Belle muttered.

"Enough," their leader leaned forward into the light. The steely gray haired man was wearing a metal exoframe to support a body pushed harder than any man should, but he still carried authority. Bruce Wayne grimly said, "Fighting amongst ourselves gets us nowhere."

"Sir," there were various nods from the now sheepish group.

"The President authorized the wristbands, so we're going to have to live with them," Bruce told Belle then looked at Waller, "but I disapprove in the strongest terms what you've said."

"Understood," Amanda Waller gave him a clipped nod.

"Sorry Sir," Belle nodded, "I suppose I just think the wristbands are counterproductive, considering the Squad's new purpose to reform criminals."

The Suicide Squad had begun as a small military covert team, taking on jobs as dangerous as it got. When Amanda Waller restarted the program she created a new plan, recruiting jailed supervillains and offering them freedom in return for handling the dirtiest of government jobs. After being run by various individuals over the years Belle was the current director and her focus was on reformation rather than forcing crooks to work for them.

"Cameron, I have a fairly big job for you," Bruce said.

"Oh?" Cameron Chase looked attentive.

"There are still a lot of unaffiliated superhumans out there," Bruce said thoughtfully, "while I'm sure the Justice League will call out everyone they can, we should try to ready them for possible mobilization ourselves."

"Huh," Chase muttered, looking out into the distance. "We've got contact methods for a few, and we can put the word out on the grapevine..."

"I have every confidence in you," Bruce nodded.

"There are some ex-Suicide Squad members I also keep in touch with," Amanda added after a moment, "I can try to bring them into the fight, too."

"How reliable are they going to be?" Bruce pressed.

"Not very," Amanda admitted, "but they don't need to be. All I want them to do is cause problems for the enemy."

Donna Troy smiled slightly, "Has the President contacted the Themescrian ambassador yet? While the Amazons have mostly given up their advanced technology they're still powerful warriors."

"I'll pass that suggestion on to our liaison Nathaniel Adam," Bruce agreed, "though I'd suspect he already has called on them."

"No official notice," Donna shrugged slightly. She flashed a slight smile, "And we haven't heard about it yet, so..."

Everyone restrained a chuckle at that. Checkmate was the UN organization responsible for dealing with superhuman threats, and they tended to be very much in the know. With the superhuman presence in United States Checkmate was closely connected to them, but they were responsible to the entire international community. If there was something international involving superhumans going on, Checkmate knew, and the Amazons were certainly under that category.

"I hate to bring this up," Belle said after a moment, "but what do we want to do about the Injustice League?"

"I think we'd be best off concentrating on the invasion," Bruce said calmly, "and leave them to the Justice League." Briskly he continued, "We all have things we need to do... Let's get to work. I'll have my secretary send a transcript to the president and the UN Security Council."

"Thank you, sir," Cameron nodded as they all signed off.

Bruce Wayne smiled wryly as he shut down the holograms for his virtual office, revealing the darkness of the Batcave all around him. If someone had suggested a few years ago that'd he'd be heading Task Force X he wouldn't have believed it, but politics could make strange bedfellows. Donna Troy had approached him after taking up her position at Checkmate, suggesting him for the head of Task Force X. Her arguments had been telling, especially her final card: the fact that Bruce wouldn't trust that kind of power in any other hands.

President James Olsen had been a perceptive man, likely suspecting the truth about Bruce's dual identity, but he accepted Donna's recommendation without asking too many suspicious questions. Getting Bruce approved for the job was even easier, with Olsen convincing his political foes that Bruce's position would be largely empty and meaningless.

Bruce chuckled softly, bringing his computer on-line. "Oracle," he called, "are you there?"

The redheaded hologram materialized in a moment, her smile curious. "Ah," Oracle quickly recognized the look on his face, "another meeting with Waller?"

"The whole group, actually," Bruce nodded. He looked up at her and asked, "How are things up on the Watchtower?"

"Crazy," Oracle shrugged casually, "we've got annoyed alien refugees, feuding families and romantic complications."

"As usual," Bruce chuckled. He accessed the file recording of the meeting and sent it to Oracle's mainframe, "We're planning to back the League up, but I can't guarantee much."

"Thank you," Oracle nodded. She paused, "Do you think the authorities will object to your sharing the information with is?"

"Chase will," Bruce said, "she still distrusts you."

"I knew I shouldn't have given in to temptation to raid her files," Oracle admitted.

To be continued...


	33. Chapter 30

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Injustice for all

Rival cried out in pain and surprise as Flash slugged her, the gold clad villainess staggered by the blow. "Bitch," Rival hissed, blood trickling down her cheek.

"You attacked my brother," Flash growled back, the red clad heroine clearly enraged, "he's barely hanging on!"

"He's not dead?" Rival blinked, looking honestly surprised as she added, "Damn, next time I'll have to do a better job."

"Arr!" Flash made a incoherent noise of rage as she attacked.

"Think we should help?" Roulette asked her teammates, her red hair flowing down on the shoulders of her gambler's costume.

Vox laughed as the blonde watched the fight, "No, I think the League will be here soon enough. They'll keep us busy."

"I'm looking forward to it," Metallix purred, the silver metal skinned woman flexing her talon like fingers.

"Well, I think they're finally coming," Scarecrow laughed, the black haired nodding as a shimmer of light appeared in the business district nearby them signaling a teleport. The city around them was burning, chaos ruling as fear panicked people rampaged through the streets due to scarecrow's potent fear drugs.

"Better call in the reserves," Roulette murmured, pressing a stud on her bracelet.

Supergirl led the charge, "Everyone, containment operations! Manhunter, see if you can calm the crowds with your telepathy."

"I'll do what I can," the green skinned Martian Manhunter agreed, taking up a spot on a nearby building as he sent out his will.

"We've got to help Flash," Firestorm started, the flaming haired young man looking visibly distressed at seeing the blurs as both speedsters fought at hyper-speed.

"No," Kestrel shook her head as the black and purple garbed woman said, "none of us are fast enough to do anything."

Dr. Fate's golden cape swirled as she confronted a black clad figure in midair high above the teams, mystical energies flasring. "EID!" the Enchantress cried, shadowy energies swirling around then engulfing the golden heroine.

With a blaze of energy Fate was free, her white hair shining as she smiled coldly. "You'll have to do better than that," she said. Her tone softened, "We don't have to do this, Zatanna."

"Don't call me that," Zatanna snarled, "Ezeerf!"

For a second a block of ice materialized around Fate, but with inhuman strength she shattered it. "We can free you from the Enchantress' influence," she urged, "just give us a chance."

"Never!" Enchantress howled.

Green Lantern swept down in a flash of green only to slam into a yellow barrier. "What the...?" Kyla Scott blurted, looking around in confusion.

"Bet you didn't know that there was still a Sinestro ring around?" the young man with the golden ring smirked, his costume a simple purple one-piece.

"I guess the Weaponmasters have been busy," Kyla said as she used her ring to sweep away the barrier, "but the Guardians showed us how to beat the yellow weakness."

"So," he sneered, racing in, "my ring is still as powerful as yours!"

"But is your will?" Kyla asked as they rammed together in a blaze of power.

Energy danced as Firestorm shot bolts on nuclear fire, hampered by his inability to effect organic matter. Instead he had to try to transmute matter to contain his foes, a task easier said than done. "I should have stayed in the Watchtower with Aquaman and Hawkwoman," he muttered.

Metallix's claws raked across B-ko's Steel armor, the young women coming together in a shower of sparks. "I nearly beat you last time," Metallix purred, "you were lucky to have Supergirl to save you!"

"I know," B-ko snarled, her blue hair flowing as she tried to punch, her foes body flowing like water away from the blow.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Metallix lunged in.

"I doubt that," B-ko said as she flipped a small canister she pulled from her suit right into her enemy's path.

"Wha.." the canister burst then spilled over Metallix, steam clouding everyone's view. One it cleared Metallix stood stiff as a statue, unable to move a inch.

"I remembered our last fight," B-ko smiled, "and packed liquid nitrogen, just in case." She stepped forward and tapped her with a knuckle, shattering her foe.

"You didn't kill her, did you?" Kestrel asked, trading blows with Scarecrow.

"She can reform," B-ko promised, "it'll take a while, though."

Supergirl raced towards Roulette, determined to take out the leader but before she could reach her she was hammered out of the sky! "What in the..." she blinked, taking in the figure dressed in purple and green armor.

"You didn't think that we'd not be prepared for you?" Roulette smiled coldly. "Surplus Lexcorp armor is commonplace, but this suit has a fragment of Kryptonite for a power source."

"That...won't stop me," Supergirl forced herself to stand.

Kestrel kicked Scarecrow in the head, sending the scientist crumbling to the ground. "We've got to get our acts together," she snarled in frustaration.

"Oh no you don't," Vox raised her voice and screamed, her sonic power hammering everyone on the battlefield, hero and villain alike.

"You stupid," Roulette cursed blood running from her ears. Seeing Supergirl fallen from the sonics she ordered, "Finish her!"

"Right," the mercenary raised a gauntleted fist.

"No," Supergirl caught the swiftly falling fist.

"NO" the voice echoed in all their minds, "A-KO WILL NOT BE HARMED."

"What in the...?" Kestrel blurted, rattled for the first time in the fight.

"C-ko," Supergirl breathed out, recognizing the voice.

"Cylene," Roulette found her lips moving without her control, her eyes wide with fear and alarm, "that is my true name, beloved."

"This is incredible..." B-ko muttered. "J'onn?"

"I can't stop her," the Martian Manhunter admitted as he soared down to their side, "Cylene's mind is incredibly powerful."

"Indeed," Roulette said, her eyes silently pleading for help. She looked at B-ko, "I'm glad to see you happy at last."

"Ah.. Thank you," B-ko managed.

"Too bad it won't last," Roulette seemed to writhe, fighting to control her body. "Warworld is coming, and nothing you can do will stop it."

"How are you able to do this?" Green Lantern asked, Kyla carrying her foe in a power ring created cage.

"I was able to communicate with Roulette across interstellar distances," Roulette's voice was smug as she said, "this near I can control her easily."

"So why aren't you taking us over?" A-ko asked warily.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Roulette collapsed bonelessly, along with most of the other villains as Cylene's voice continued, "I give you these villains as a gift, clearly they are not powerful enough to serve us. Once Warworld arrives I advise surrender...it may let you live." With that the voice was gone, leaving the heroes with as many questions as answers.

To be continued...


	34. 31

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Cylene drew back her power, the blonde amazon smiling slightly as the command deck of Warworld bustled with activity. Servant species and Almeracians rushed about, monitoring the giant, moving battlestation as it traveled through space towards Sol system.

"Well done, Cylene," Maxima smiled, the redhead looking down at her daughter fondly.

"I wish our tools had been more effective," Cylene frowned, "but they've distracted the League well enough."

Maxima moved away to sit in a throne like chair, while a empty seat beside her waited for Cylene. "Do you expect the solar system to be defended?" she asked.

"I've scanned the data files of the ship that brought me home to Warworld," Cylene said as she sat, "there was no attempt to intercept. However, we were scanned by locations on Mars and on the outer planets. I suspect there may be automated systems."

"What do you recommend we do?" Maxima asked, studying her daughter.

"Bombard each site as a precaution," Cylene answered promptly, "if there IS a enemy force there it'd better to destroy it now, than risk a surprise later."

"Indeed," Maxima said. She studied her daughter a moment as her voice softened, "How long have you been on duty?"

"Nearly twelve hours now," Cylene admitted before adding firmly, "but it is of no consequence. There is still much to do..."

"No," Maxima said firmly, "you must rest. You'll need your full strength once we reach the human's defensive line."

"But..." Cylene started.

"Rest," Maxima repeated, "must I make it an order?"

"All right, mother," Cylene gave in gracefully. Rising from her seat she bowed slightly then strode from the command deck, her simple one piece costume clinging to her shapely body.

Maxima watched Cylene go, her own thoughts faintly troubled. 'When Cylene addressed the Justice League she called A-ko beloved,' she mused, 'it seems her feelings for the hero are as strong as ever. I had best watch, to make sure she doesn't do anything foolish.'

'So, to bed,' Cylene thought as she went down the hall to the teleporting pad, 'but first, there are things I need to check into.' Pressing a few buttons she entered the location code, stepped on the platform then was gone.

The section of Warworld she arrived in had been modified somewhat by it's inhabitants, and oddly had the feeling of Japan about it. The denizens of Orando had modified this place, so that it's almost rustic style construction existed, as did the plants so like cherry trees that spilled soft pink blossoms on the stones of the walkways.

Walking under a simulated sky Cylene headed to one of the buildings, gazing in the doorway as she saw the battle going on within. The redheaded woman fought against four others, but it was almost as if it was a game for her. With inhuman speed she defeated one foe after another, dodging and bobbing between blows, until finally they all had fallen.

"M'lady," the redhead turned, smiling slightly.

"Ranko," Cylene nodded, "I have need of your combat abilities."

"A worthy challenge?" Ranko asked, a servant bringing her a towel to wipe away the sweat. She wore a simple two piece costume, black pants and a red silk shirt hugging her curvy form.

"I believe so," Cylene said. "an Earther called Kestrel. I will be leading a squad against her allies, will you join it?"

"I'd be honored," Ranko grinned.

"Good," Cylene smiled, "I'll enjoy fighting by your side." She looked towards the fallen warriors, "Those women, are they dead?"

"No, but my nerve strikes have paralyzed them," Ranko said, "I only kill as needed."

"Good," and with that Cylene excused herself.

Next, Cylene traveled to Starhaven, a section colonized by Thangaran warriors. The gravity in that section was low as she soared between the bird winged warriors, eventually finding herself on a floating island.

"Lord Talak," Cylene said with some distaste, "I come bearing news of the traitor."

"She survived getting to earth?" the Thangarian warlord asked, his grey hair falling into his eyes. Talak was a old man, but strong, having overthrown the previous rulers of his kind.

"Yes, and she's allied herself with the Justice League," Cylene revealed.

"Traitorous wench," Talak hissed.

"I intend to lead a warrior elite against them," Cylene said, "I would like a champion of Thangar to face Katar."

"Ah," Talak nodded then looked off into the distance, a smile teased his lips.

"What?" Cylene pressed.

"There is a warrior and tracker called Dawnstar who was once... intimate with Katar," Talak revealed, "she would be perfect for your elite."

"But would she be swayed by her feelings?" Cylene asked.

"She is a warrior of Thangar," Talak said firmly, "she will do her duty."

Excusing herself Cylene traveled back to the teleport system, journeying to another section of Warworld. The landscape here resembled that of a biblical hell, fires burning uncontrollably and the air filled with rude gasses. The people here were from Apokolips, and had made this place a reflection of their former home. Meeting with Grayven, son of Darkseid, Cylene was told of a warrior whom she next sought out.

There was a sound of whip's cracking as the black haired woman stuck, the leather lash biting into stone like it was paper. Dressed in black the woman's costume was covered with strips of leather, each one a deadly weapon on her hands.

"Hello, Lashina," Cylene said.

Lashina smiled, the leather on her mask giving her a demented look, "Lady Cylene," she purred, "did your Injustice gang fail as I predicted?"

Cylene grit her teeth, fighting back her annoyance, "Yes they did, Duchess."

"Don't call me that," Lashina snarled, furious over the reminder of her past. Exiled from Apokolips on Earth she had joined the Suicide Squad, eventually using the team to get herself home and punish her foes. Still, she hated to be reminded of her time consorting with lesser beings such as humans.

"I need a warrior, a killer to fight beside my Elite," Cylene said, dropping her taunting of the other woman for the moment.

"I'm always ready to kill," Lashina purred.

"But A-ko is MINE," Cylene warned.

"Of course," Lashina smirked.

Wheeling about Cylene grabbed her by the throat and hammered her against a wall. "Don't toy with me, slut," she growled.

"I'm... sorry," Lashina croaked weakly.

Cylene let her go, "Do not forget who has the power her."

"I won't," Lashina rubbed at her throat, glaring at Cylene as she left.

Feeling weariness overtaking her Cylene sighed, deciding she had done enough recruiting for today. 'Besides,' she thought as she left the hellish region, 'there's always tomorrow.'

To be continued...

Notes: Yes, Ranko is a thinly disguised Ranma. Her "world" is a Legion of Super Heroes reference, as is the Dawnstar of Thangar. :)


	35. 32

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Kestrel lead the way into the meeting room, leading a figure in a familiar looking black costume. "Everyone," she said briskly, "this is the new Black Canary."

The tall blonde smiled, her costume mostly black with gold accents, a half mask shielding her face. "Ladies, gents," Allison Queen nodded respectfully.

"I think I can guess who you are," Supergirl murmured, the redheaded A-ko studying her thoughtfully. "Why should we accept you?" she asked.

"I'm willing to vouch for her," Oracle noted, the redheaded android having followed the two women inside.

"As are my mothers," Kestrel gave a wry smile as Helena Wayne asked the assembled group, "that enough?"

"I'd say it's good enough for me," Steel conceded, the blue haired young woman sitting at the round table with the others. B-ko looked serious as she asked, "Is there any more information from our captives?"

"Nothing new," J'onn J'onzz the Martian Manhunter sounded frustrated as the green skinned alien elaborated, "only Roulette seems to know who they were really working for, and her knowledge is barely better than our own."

"How did she hook up with Cylene?" Green Lantern asked as she politely held out a seat for Oracle.

"Thank you," Oracle smiled.

Kyla Scott blushed slightly as the green haired girl answered, "You're welcome."

J'onn looked amused at their interaction but explained, "Apparently Cylene visited Roulette in her dreams, offering her power and glory in return for service."

"Lovely," Hawkwoman growled, Katar Hol sitting at the end of the table, her metalic wings giving her a dangerous look.

Kestrel nodded grimly as she muttered, "I'd much rather be investigating a nice, straight forward mystery than this sort of thing."

"And the refugees?" Aqualad asked, the redheaded young man looking calmly intent.

"Lexcorp has finished the repairs and they're already fleeing the system," D-ko revealed, the blonde haired robot girl getting up to dish up some snacks. "A few have stayed behind, though," she added.

"Like?" Dr. Fate asked. Lyta Hall's golden cape swirled as the white haired woman drank her tea, her eyes thoughtful.

"Starfire and Nightstar," D-ko said, keeping a slightly wary eye on Kestrel, "have apparently chosen to stay on Paradise Island."

"Huh," B-ko frowned.

Firestorm sat by Flash, his flaming hair and blank white eyes giving him a eerie air. "Al least things are quiet on Earth," he offered.

:"For now," Flash said, the red bodysuit clad Iris West smiling wryly, "just wait till the people hear about Warworld. There'll be a panic."

"Hopefully the Justice Society and other heroic groups will be able to keep a lid on things," A-ko said briskly.

"Lets's hope," Black Canary nodded. She hesitated a moment, "has anyone considered formally contacting the Secret Society of Supervillains?"

"Already working on it," Kestrel said smugly.

The SSOSV was a powerful organization, one that had existed for almost as long as the Justice League itself. First organized among minor villains it slowly grew in power, until at it's peak it had been led by Luthor himself and was one of the most powerful forces on Earth. Even now without such legends in it's ranks, the Society was a force to be reckoned with.

"I still feel a bit uncomfortable about appealing to them for help against the coming invasion," A-ko admitted.

"Who are you sending to talk to them?" Kyla asked.

"My associate Raven," Kestrel said, refering to Cassandra Cain, once called the Batgirl, "will be meeting with their current leader Nyssa Head, the leader of the League of Assassins."

"I'd kill to be a fly on the wall of that meeting," J'onn admitted, well aware of the two women's background together.

"Ditto," B-ko nodded. She smiled wryly as she asked, "Who wants to bet there's going to be a fight?"

Helena actually chuckled softly, "I wouldn't bet against that."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The black clad woman stalked through the alley's of Gotham like she owned them, her full face mask concealing all of her features. She was slim, capable, and the only thing that stood out on her black clothes was the golden bird emblem on her chest.

"Hyaa!" a figure burst from the shadows dressed in red and gold.

Without a word Raven deflected the strike, calmly parrying the masked woman's attack. Blades flashed but she dodged like black water, the weapons unable to even touch her. Back and forth they fought, the black clad woman barely seeming to break a sweat until...

"Enough," the voice called, "Shrike, you're embarrassing us."

"But ma'am..." Shrike started.

With extra emphasis she said, "Enough."

Shrike bowed slightly as she walked away, "Yes, ma'am."

"Hello, Nyssa," Raven said with a gentler tone of voice, "it's been awhile."

Nyssa Raatko, also known as Nyssa Al Ghul and Nyssa Head smiled, her short black hair styled in a boyish way. "It's been a long time, Beloved," she purred, drawing Raven into a embrace.

Raven pulled back her hood and Cassandra Cain smiled, looking up at Nyssa tenderly. "That it has," she agreed, "are we going to have to fight?"

Nyssa sighed as she pulled Cassandra into a kiss. "Not today," she murmured, "not until I business is concluded."

"Fair enough," Cassandra agreed.

"My apologies for the new Shrike," Nyssa sighed, "she's a good enough bodyguard, but clearly her skills need work."

"I'm glad you can take care of yourself," Cassandra frowned, "a Shiva would kill Shrike in a few moments."

"Thankfully the latest Shiva is in my employ," Nyssa smirked. Her explression became more serious as she asked, "What does the Justice League want of us?"

"There's threat coming to all of us," Cassandra said grimly then passed on a sketchy briefing on the invasion force.

Nyssa listened intently. "The woman Roulette attempted to approach me," she admitted, "but I knew such an alliance would put us in opposition, so I said no."

"I'm glad," Cassandra answered softly.

"As am I Beloved," Nyssa stroked her cheek. Shaking her head a bit she said, "I'll bring this to the Society, then let you know."

"Thank you," Cassandra reached out to kiss her once more.

Nyssa pulled her close. "Do you ever regret leaving the League," she murmured, "and returning to Gotham?"

"Occasionally," Cassandra quietly admitted, "but when I was in the league, I couldn't be your lover."

Nyssa chuckled warmly, "Very true." She drew back reluctantly, "I look forward to our next meeting, Beloved."

"See you soon," Cassandra agreed as Nyssa seemed to disappear into the night.

To be continued...


	36. 33

Note: This story is getting sufficiently complicated that I thought it might be time for a character summary. Sorry if this is a bit boring for long time readers, but I hope this will help anyone who's mildly lost.

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

All Seeing Oracle

Oracle, the computer consciousness of the Watchtower, let her artificial body's eyes flick from one member of the new Justice League to another, unconsciously reviewing their data and updating her personal files on them.

Supergirl smiled slightly as she walked over to Steel, "Has Kestrel decided to go see her mother on Themescria yet?"

Steel smiled as she took off her helm, her long blue hair flowing around her shoulders. "Helena's still debating when it would be best," she softly admitted, "but either way I'm coming along with her."

"Good," Supergirl nodded, "Kestrel's tough but she still needs you."

'Interesting,' Oracle noted as she concentrated on her work.

Supergirl, also known as A-ko and Laurel Kent. Redheaded biological daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman and raised both in man's world and on the amazon isle of Themescria, she was a warrior without compare. So far she had demonstrated most of the physical capabilities of both her parents, including near incalculable strength, durability, flight, and various sensory abilities.

Steel, the armored heroine named Biko Daitokuji, sat down in a chair at the council table nearby, her long blue hair slightly limp from sweat. The daughter of Hikaru Daitokuji and Lena Luthor, she inherited her mother's genius in technology, producing advanced armors in her former feud with A-ko.

A feud, like most feuds, over a woman, Oracle mused. C-ko had seemed a normal blonde teen, except that aliens had a tendency to kidnap the girl. Finally a few months ago a all-female band of aliens succeeded in taking her, a race we later learned was from Almerac. C-ko was in fact the daughter of their ruler, Maxima, sent to Earth to study exceptional beings like A-ko and B-ko, and now it seemed she was coming back, leading a army of her people in a artificial construct called Warworld.

"Thanks," Kestrel murmured, her purple cowl drawn back to reveal black hair and her usual focused expression.

B-ko reached out to carefully squeeze Helena's hand, "Anything I can do..."

"I'll call," Kestrel agreed with somewhat more warmth.

Kestrel, garbed in her usual purple and black, sat nearby B-ko as she grimly contemplated their current situation. Helena Wayne was the child of three superheroic legacies, her mother Nightstar being the daughter of Nightwing and Starfire and her father being Thomas Wayne, son of the Batman. Her own reactions to all this have been rather mixed, with Nightstar having abandoned her and being raised by the Birds of Prey and adopting s heroic identity that could best be described as a fusion of Batman and Batgirl.

"More coffee?" the bouncy blonde asked as she went around the table.

Mecha smiled cheerfully as the blonde android served them all beverages, then D-ko took a seat nearby. Originally built to be just a robot servant, B-ko had upgraded her multiple times with onboard weaponry quite the opposite of her warm personality. It was that destructive capability that first carried her out to the battlefield, but Oracle suspected it was bonds of friendship that were keeping her there.

Martian Manhunter was a oddly calming presence, considering he was a seven foot tall green alien. J'onn J'onzz, the last known survivor of a ancient Martian race, had been a member of multiple Justice Leagues, and his Superman-like powers were certainly an asset. Even more of an asset was his calm leadership and cool head, taking the various twists and turns their recent adventures had caused in stride.

"Thank you," Martian Manhunter nodded to Mecha. A impish look appeared in his eye, "Do you have any Oreos, by the way?"

"I can get some," Mecha smiled as she hopped up again.

"Busy?" a familiar voice asked.

Oracle smiled up at Kyla Scott as she answered the dark green haired woman, "Just thinking about things."

Kyla squeezed Oracle's shoulder as the Green Lantern said, "If I can help, let me know."

"I will," Oracle murmured fondly.

Kyla Scott, the current Green Lantern of Earth's sector of space, was the daughter of Jade and the Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, born of a romantic tryst between the two of them before Kyle disappeared mysteriously in the last great Crisis. Raised by Jade she had learned about the Green Lanterns almost as soon as she could read, and was accepted into the Corps almost as soon as she could qualify.

There was a blur of movement as the Flash hurried by as she excitedly told everyone, "Lunchhasbeenmade!We'vegotcoldcuts,fishpate,someburgersandvegetablesslicedupfordipping!"

"Slow down a bit," Oracle chuckled softly, even though she already understood what the Flash had said.

"Sorry," Flash blushed as she pushed her red costume's cowl back. Iris West smiled, her sandy brown hair a bit messy, "Lunch has been finished. We've got cold cuts, fish pate, some burgers and vegetables sliced up for dipping!"

"Thank you," Kyla grinned, "you didn't cook it, did you?"

"Hey, I can cook," Iris frowned at her friend.

Kyla snickered, "Yeah, if it comes out of a box and has instructions."

Iris gently bopped her in the head, "Meanie."

The sixth incarnation of the Flash, Iris West was the daughter of Wally West and his wife Linda. Born with the potential for speed she had grown up with the dream of being a Flash, even though her father actively discouraged her. Originally Iris called herself Kid Flash, but due to unknown reasons has recently taken on the Flash Identity.

"Hey, Iris," Firestorm smiled warmly, unearthly flames crackling around the androgynous looking man's head.

"Firestorm," Iris smiled happily, "sit with me?"

A faint blush colored Firestorm's cheeks as the red and gold clad man took her hand and answered, "I'd be glad to."

Firestorm was Rebecca Raymond, the daughter of the original Firestorm. Some time before Ronnie Raymond was stabbed by Shadow Thief, a godlike fire elemental had been bonded to him, and somehow that elemental restored him to life. Shaken by his death and rebirth Ronnie retired, but unknowingly passed on the Firestorm powers to his daughter.

"Was the fish chosen deliberately for me?" Orin, their new Aqualad, asked with some amusement. Because he was a resident of Atlantis Oracle knew very little about him, though his red hair and water shaping powers made her believe he might be connected to the former Queen of Atlantis, Mera.

"Luck of the draw," DR. Fate noted, her white hair falling into her eyes.

Lyta Hall, the latest incarnation of Fate, was a hero with a very checkered past. The daughter of the Golden Age Fury she had adopted that identity along with the other children of Golden Age heroes in Infinity Inc. In the end her lover died and was reborn, she lost her son and became a avatar of the true Furies, and acquired the power of Fate in exchange for crushing responsibility and misplaced guilt.

"Anything to drink?" Hawkwoman asked, the brown haired warrior dressed in her modified Thangarian uniform.

"I think we can rustle up something from when Orion of the New Gods was here," D-ko offered cheerfully.

Katar Hohl was a refugee police officer from the planet Thangar, a warrior who's parents had fought beside the Justice League years ago. When a war party rose on her planet and allied with Warworld to attack Earth, she abandoned her home world to give a warning, sacrificing her past and friendships there.

"Everyone's still wary around me, I notice," the new Black Canary murmured as she sat by Oracle, her blonde hair shining.

"They know you were a supervillain," Oracle shrugged, "give it time."

Black Canary made a face, "Maybe I'll join Katar with a drink."

Oracle watched Allison Queen stalk off with a sigh. The daughter of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen, Allison had been put up for adoption as a babe, and growing up was shuffled from one home to another due to her inherited sonic powers. Adopting the name Vox she became a small time villain, but decided to go straight after finally meeting her biological mother. Along with Barbara Gordon they devised a plot to put Allison undercover, having her pose as a villain and retrieve information on the underworld, a plan that was recently derailed by a villain's powerful telepathic scan.

'So this is the Justice League,' Oracle silently mused, 'I hope we're going to be enough to do the job.'

To be continued...


	37. Chapter 37

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

It appeared just beyond the orbit of Pluto, a massive shape emerging from the blackness of space. The size of a small world it was built entirely of technology, gleaming metal shining as it casually swept by the outer world on it's journey to Earth.

As it did so alarms rang out across the blue world as people finally accepted that it was really coming. In the halls of power hasty debates over action raged, some affraid a strike might anger their new foe while others wondered if it would be effective at all. On the streets as word leaked out there was a panicked rush to escape, people grabbing whatever they could, loading up their cars and racing out of town.

Lois Lane, grey haired editor and chief of the Daily Planet, emerged from her office as she watched her reporters busily working away. Unlike the rest of the city they had stayed, gathering information and trying to stay on top of the story as it developed.

"Hey boss," Cat Grant smiled as she held a phone to her ear, waiting to get a statement from the mayor, "any chance your inside source with the cops can get us info?"

Lois shook her head, "Sorry, Maggie can't make a official comment yet." Mentally she added, 'And besides that, she really doesn't know much.'

"Here's what we've got so far," Kristin Wells said, the crime beat reporter dropping off a sheaf of papers.

"Military statement," Lois noted, "Lexcorp statement, and it looks like the Outsiders, Teen Titans and JSA have all mobilized too."

"Just got a call from the Gotham office," Cat noted, "seems Raven has called up the Gotham City irregulars too."

"All right," Lois said briskly, "we'll put together a early edition based on this, as well as some man on the street interviews."

"Got it," Kristin agreed.

"So far, I only have one question to go," Lois mused.

"Oh?" Cat wondered as she assigned a photographer to go get some shorts of the Metropolis Police Department gearing up.

"Where's the Justice League during all this?" Lois asked, also mentally adding, 'And where is Superman?'

Within the depths of Warworld, the prison groaned as a figure in tattered red and blue strained against his bonds. "You're wasting your time," Vril Dox sighed, the blonde haired and green skinned Colulan leaning against the wall.

"No," Superman shook his head, "even with the kryptonite and red sun lamps, I can't surrender."

A soft groan drew their attention to a figure laying in the corner, then gradually Wonder Woman began to stir. She looked up, black hair falling into her eyes as she blinked then murmured, "Well that was interesting."

"Are you all right?" Superman asked, eyes wide.

"She's been in a coma for weeks," Vril rolled his eyes, "how do you think she us?"

"Shut up, Dox," Superman sighed.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Kal," Wonder Woman said, "I wasn't expecting my out of body experience to last that long."

"What happened?" Superman asked.

Wonder Woman sat up a bit, "After Maxima beat me unconscious I was able to slip free from my physical body. In spirit form I took it upon myself to investigate the Almeracian's and their plans."

Vril leaned forward as much as his bonds would allow, "What did you find out?"

"Almerac is lying to their allies, for one," Wonder Woman revealed. She smiled grimly, "Maxima may be telling her allies that she intends to share power, but in reality she'll save a certain number of their Elite for breeding purpses them slaughter the rest."

"We've got to stop them," Superman said flatly.

"I have a question," Vril said. As they looked at him he asked, "Is that actually Maxima? I understood she died during the Imperitrex invasion."

"So did I," Superman conceded, "but..."

"She's not Maxima," Wonder Woman agreed, "though she believes she is."

"So what is she, then?" Vril wondered.

"When I touched her," Wonder Woman sighed as she told Superman, "I recognized her species, though I couldn't tell you at the time. She's a Tormock, a alien race we encountered when I lead the Justice League."

"Tormocks?" Superman blinked.

Vril rolled his eyes, "Try to keep up." Taking a deep breath he said, "The Tormocks were a violent race in prehistory that fought the Vuldarians, a race of peacekeepers. They stole powers from the Vuldarians via genetic engineering as well as devestated planets from one end of the universe to the other.

"Like Maxima is doing now," Wonder Woman smiled grimly.

Superman nodded grimly, looking around their prison at the exhausted men and women laying there. "Are you up to a fight?" he asked.

"Always," Wonder Woman agreed.

Superman smiled back warmly. "And you, Vril?" he asked.

"Do you have a plan?" Vril wondered.

"I thought we'd bust out of here, grab some weapons for all of us then we'd fight our way off Warworld," Superman shrugged.

"That is not a plan," Vril gritted his teeth, "that's a suicide attempt."

"You have a suggestion?" Wonder Woman asked mildly. In her experience convoluted plans usually only worked for the gods... mortals were better off sticking with simplicity.

"I felt us drop out of warp a short time ago," Vril said grimly, "we've arrived at a new Star System, quite possibly Earth's."

"Then we should..." Superman started.

Cutting him off Vril continued, "We should wait until they engage human forces before we decide what to do." Unobtrusively he tapped on his hand cuffs, using a code he was certain the Earther's would recognize.

'Morse code,' Superman recognized it nearly immediately.

Tapping away Vril said, "We wait until the Earthers attack, then make a break for it."

Wonder Woman nodded slightly as she responded, "I agree, we need to wait and see." Then she winked impishly.

"Who seems to be the most fit of the captives?" Superman asked Vril via code, scanning the chamber thoughtfully.

"Most are in pretty poor shape," Vril replied the same way, "the Almeracians are only providing the minimum food and water needed." He paused, "We'll only be able to save the strongest, you know."

"No one get's left behind," Wonder Woman jumped in, her expression intense as she tapped away.

"I will never understand you Earthers," Vril said aloud, almost as if to himself, "Logic totally escapes you."

"It's not a matter of logic," Superman said tiredly.

Wonder Woman smiled as she added, "It's about honor."

"As I said," Vril growled, "I will never understand you Earthers."

On the security deck a pair of Almeracians watched, the young women frowning. "Did you understand that, Eiko?" one asked the other.

"No, Fiko," the other frowned. "Do you think we should pass a recording of this to our superiors?" she wondered.

Fiko paled. "If it ends up being nothing, Princess Cylene will be annoyed," she fretted.

"You're right," Eiko agreed. She smiled slightly, "Besides, they're weak and deprived captives. What could go wrong?"

Fiko sighed softly, "I really wish you hadn't said that. Now I'm nearly certain something will go wrong."

To be continued...


	38. Interlude: Oa to Gotham

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Green light flared from the planet Oa as the soldiers of the Guardians, the Green Lanterns, were marshaled for battle. On the grounds before the great Central Battery they gathered, dozens swelling to hundreds as all available members answered the call to arms.

There was a murmur of surprise as blue light flashed, then a delegation of Blue Lanterns descended, lead by the female Guardian called Sayd. "We're here to help," the white haired humanoid said, looking up to meet the eyes of the Guardian Ganthlet, the founder and former leader of the Blues.

Ganthlet nodded from the podium, the little blue skinned man looking relieved. "It's good to have you here," he admitted, his red robe swirling around him.

"What;'s the situation?" Sayd asked him softly as her people mingled nervously with the Green Lanterns. The other colored rings had fought the Corps in the conflict some called Darkest Night, and a lingering sense of distrust remained even years later.

Ganthlet led her into the Guardian's citadel on Oa as he said, "A reconstructed Warworld has cut a swath across the galaxy, heading towards Earth."

"The primary world," Sayd's eyes widened in alarm.

While Oa was the center of the Universe, Earth heald a unique place in cosmology. When the universe was split into a multiverse Earth became the keystone of the new realities, and it's destruction could end all the universes, not just this one. That was why the Guardians monitored it constantly, and usually were ready to intervene there.

Within the council chambers of the Guardians was another surprise, a Violet Lantern serving the Zamorans. "I am sorry, Guardians," the purple clad woman said coolly, "we have heard your plea, but we cannot fight beside you."

"Understood," the lead Guardian said regretfully. He looked at her thoughtfully, "Can your Corps at least try to keep the Red Lanterns from interfering?"

The Violet Lantern sniffed, "We will always be willing to stop those hate filled fools." Not waiting for any further comments she turned, her revealing bodysuit hugging her form, then blasted off in a blaze of light.

"The love guided Lanterns are dangerously emotional," a Guardian muttered.

"They helped us prevent Darkest Night," Ganthlet said dryly, "they'll do."

Sayd approached the Guardians as she asked, "Is this Warworld such a threat?"

"Dozens of Green Lanterns have been killed trying to slow it down," a female Guardian took a turn to explain, "it's packed with the best fighting forces in the Galaxy."

"And then there's the Sinestro Corps," Ganthlet added bleakly.

Founded in the anti-matter universe, the Sinestro Corps were the opposite numbers to the Green Lanterns, powered by yellow fear rather than green willpower. Despite the defeat of their founder, the renegade Sinestro, the corps did everything they could to hurt the Green Lanterns and undermine their work.

"What are they...?" Sayd asked, frowning.

The lead Guardian looked grim, "The Sinestro Corps is mobilizing to support Warworld. If they unite their forces, Earth may be doomed."

Ganthlet nodded as he agreed, "Which is why we must stop the Sinestro Corps before they can do so."

"And you need our help," Sayd realized.

Another one of the Guardians started, "WE don't NEED your help, but..."

"Hush," Ganthlet said flatly, the other Guardian shutting up immediately. "We've lost many Green Lanterns of late, some of which I think relates to this Warworld situation." He sighed, "Short of throwing trainees in, we lack numbers to stop the Sinestro Corps."

There was a bit of unrest among the Guardians, but they soon fell into line. Ganthlet was the eldest of the current generation of Guardians, as well as a almost legendary figure who had fought against beings such as the maddened Hal Jordan and Parallax, and his very presence carried a immense weight.

As a group the Guardians and Sayd addressed their troops, then watched as the blue and green forces took off into the star filled sky. "Do you ever miss what we shared?" Sayd asked Ganthlet softly, reaching out to take his hand.

Ganthlet squeezed her fingers gently as he admitted, "Every day." He shrugged his shoulders, "But after a Guardian betrayed them in Blackest Night, someone had to come back and lead them..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, on Earth raw panic began to take hold as the people started to grasp the severity of the coming threat, and the very real possibility they might all die. Riots and looking broke out in deserted cities, the majority of people having fled for the hills.

The Ray flashed golden as he shpped light energy, forming a barrier as a mob attempted to storm the New York Museum. Ray smiled, his face half hidden by a golden helm, "You are not looting the place today."

"The world's ending anyway!" one man yelled, "Let us in!"

"Not if we can help it," Ray said firmly, silently vowing to go down fighting if need be.

In Gotham a uneasy calm settled over the city, most people unwilling to Flee. Much like when the city was declared a no man's land the people refused to give in, hunkering down in their homes armed and ready.

Dryad reformed her body out of vines, the plant woman taking her place amid the others, waiting for action. In the night sky was a growing silver star, the Warworld coming closer and closer to Earth. "Any signs of attack yet?" she asked quietly, her rose hair flowing over green skin.

The Knight shifted, his steel face expressionless as the armored figure growled, "Not yet." Massive batlike wings stretched from his back,his gloves taloned and frightening as hew peered at the street below.

Raven, the masked vigilante and her partner Robin stood off to one side, a oasis of eerie calm. "I'm nervous," Carrie admitted, pushing up the goggles she wore as a Robin mask.

Raven nodded as Cassandra Cain said, "That's good." A faint smile creased her full face mask, "A little fear will make you sharper, just as long as you don't let it control you."

"Then I guess I'm really sharp," Cassie chuckled.

Catwoman slinked over to Dryad as the gray clad woman smiled wryly, her golden eyes looking amused. "I'm glad you're here," Jane Vale casually pushed back her hood, shaking out her short blonde hair.

Dryad looked surprised, "What about your secret ID?"

Jane looked faintly amused as she answered, "If we survive all of this, I'll worry about my secrets then."

"Good point," Dryad agreed.

Jane sat on the ledge, swinging her feet casually as she looked yp at Dryad, "Come down here, you intimidate me."

"I intimidate you?" Dryad looked amused as she settled down beside her.

"Very," Jane admitted, "I think that's why I get so smart with you." She took a deep breath, "I wanted to apologize, actually."

"Oh?" Dryad looked confused.

"I shouldn't have teased you so much that time in the park," Jane confessed.

Dryad sighed softly, "No, you were right. I was hung up on Kestrel, and until you told me I never saw it."

Jane put a hand on her arm, "I'm still sorry for being so harsh."

Dryad covered it with her own, "It's all right."

The Knight turned away, a odd feeling of amusement in his metallic heart. Across town in his mansion Bruce Wayne sat back, his VR interface directly connecting him to the armored Knight. Carefully turning the microphone aside he murmured, "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

Oracle looked amused as the holographic woman asked, "Were you not expecting a quiet Gotham or Dryad and Catwoman?"

"Both!" Bruce chuckled. He became more serious as he added, "It's just the calm before the storm, though. Once Warworld is here, thing's will get... interesting."

"Agreed," Oracle said seriously. She smiled grimly, "We're preparing to launch a space team against Warworld, with volunteers from several past Leagues."

"Leader?" Bruce wondered.

"Supergirl," Oracle answered promptly, "but Captain Atom will be functioning as her second in command, along with J'onn."

"Keep an eye on Atom," Bruce said after a moment, "I don't trust him as much since he became Monarch the second time."

"You don't trust anyone entirely," Oracle noted.

"True," Bruce agreed mildly. He gave her a shrewd glance, "So, are you and Kyla...?"

"Bruce!" Oracle looked startled.

Bruce actually grinned, "Well, you two have been dancing around each other for weeks..." he chuckled. "Besides, a crisis has been known to bring unlikely couples together," he added.

"You hacked into the Watchtower again?" Oracle looked at him suspiciously.

Bruce just winked.

To be cointinued...


	39. Chapter 39

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Warworld flowed through space silently, the airless void carrying no sound from the massive alien construct. The metal armor gleamed in the sunlight, the raised turrets and other weapons swiveling dangerously seeking any foe. Of course, they relied on the senses of the life forms commanding them, and were as vulnerable to error as any such devices.

They didn't see the white haired woman streaking in faster than any foe they had yet faced, nor were they prepared for her weapons. A neutron grenade exploded a gap in the outer armor, sending stunned slaves and warriors cartwheeling into space, the woman diving through the gap as she opened fire with alien rifles.

"Surrender, woman," the orange haired leader of the security patrol demanded, glad that the emergency seals were restoring atmosphere to the section.

"Never!" the stranger cried as she opened up again with her strange weapons, "Come and see how a Kryptonian wages war!"

On the command bridge Maxima scowled, her red hair flowing around her face. "Who is this fool?" she demanded.

"We gathered some data from the Dark Circle crime group," a leutenant spoke up respectfully, "she appears to match a being they had difficulties with. They called her Superwoman, though they thought she was a Daxamite."

"Understandably," Maxima conceded. Daxamites were rare in space due to their isolationist natures, but a real Kryptonian was even rarer. She frowned in thought a moment then said, "We'll need to deploy the Kryptonite arms."

"I thought we were saving those for when we face Supergirl?" another minion asked, her hair raven black. Shasti smiled grimly as she pointed out, "We only have a limited amount of the mineral available."

"Our only other option is to overwhelm her in pure numbers," Maxima noted with a frown, "and that could cost us greatly."

Deidre turned to the feed from the cameras in the sector under attack, her eyes widening a little in awe. "That may not be needed, ma'am," she reported with a smile, "I think Princess Cybele has arrived."

The blonde strode into the ruined wing of Warworld, her blue eyes widening slightly. There were dead bodies scattered around, some of them elite Almeracan warriors. Cybele hadn't believed it was possible for someone to kill them any more, and it shocked her deeply.

"Yield," the white haired woman raised one of her guns as she added coldly, "I need a guide to this madhouse."

"Never," Cybele answered as she looked into her eyes, "but I give you the same option. Surrender and I might let you live."

"Not a chance," the white haired woman growled as she opened fire.

Cybele dodged as the woman shifted her aim, very nearly tagging her. She was incredibly fast but Cybele was the best of the best, enhanced with the best seized DNA. Even better she contained the genetic potential of her two lovers A-ko and B-ko, both of which were even more incredible.

Reaching out with her mind Cybele lightly touched the other's mind, covertly getting a sense of her. The other woman was Karsta Wor-Ul, a deserter from the Kryptonian army who had wandered the galaxy. She had survived so long using alien technology to rejuvenate herself, ultimately hiding on Earth for a time. Finally she chose to face justice for criminal acts she had committed, probably inspired by Kal-El.

"Karsta," as she ducked behind a piece of mostly intact armor plate Cybele called, "you don't want to do this!"

"How do you know my name?" Karsta shouted back suspisciously.

Deciding it might be best to hide her telepathy Cylene lied, "We have complete records, Karsta." Keeping her voice calm and even she added, "All about how you were abandoned by your homeworld, travelled across this part of the galaxy an fought as a true warrior."

Karsta fired off a few wild shots to keep Cybele's head down as she answered, "Then you should also know I've been a planetary protector as a punishment."

"A act unworthy of you," Cybele shot back, finding it surprisingly difficult to probe deeper with her power. Beneath her recent memories it was like hitting a neutronium wall, utterly impregnable.

"That's where you're wrong," Karsta answered firmly.

Cylene grit her teeth, cursing the almost poisonous influence of the humans. "You won't follow the wise course and follow us?" Cylene had to ask.

"As you said," Karsta answered firmly, "never."

"So be it," Cylene said as she raced from cover, unleashing her true speed. Faster than even Karsta's eyes could track she disarmed the older woman, a rapid strike sending the alien weapons flying.

Like a true warrior Karsta recovered, of course, her roundhouse punch grazing Cylene as she swiftly dodged. They swung again, both ready for battle and their firsts hammered together, the inhuman forces pulsing outward. The shock wave buckled floor and armor, the massive support pillars of Warword trembling in sympathy.

Up on the bridge the young women grabbed at their terminals as the very deck shook, the inertial dampers in the vessel strained to their limits. Sections of roof fell as sparks burst from some of the stations, electronics overloading from the sudden shock.

"Damage report!" Maxima called fiercely, the tall redhead bracing a hand against the back of her command chair.

"Unknown degree of damage to the outer hull," a pretty minion answered, her silver hair flowing down over her eyes, "power systems are down around there as well as a unknown degree of damage to secondary systems. We're attempting to re-route around the damaged areas, but it will take time."

Maxima sat down in her chair, grimacing as she noticed the shock had knocked the chair slightly off. "Is Cylene all right?" she asked worriedly.

"She appears fine," the silver haired woman said, "from the data we can gather from sensors in nearby sectors. In fact, from what I can tell she's enjoying herself."

"Heh," Maxima shook her head, wondering if her telepathic training of the girl as a warrior might have gone a bit too far.

"Is Earth taking advantage?" Shasti asked, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"Long range sensors say no," Deidre amswered simply, "but I'd suggest sending scouts out to confirm that."

"Do so," Maxima nodded her agreement. "Put the battle between Cylene and the Kryptonian on my screen," she said as she activated a viewer beside her throne, "I look forward to her victory."

Cylene panted softly, blood running down into her face from a cut above her eye, her red blood vivid on her light skin. "You're very good," she noted, watching her foe warily.

Karsta winced as she stood up, a rib shifting from where the girl kicked her in the side. "Thank you," she answered, her fists clenched as she assessed her enemy. Frankly, the situation wasn't looking good. This Cylene was at least marginally more powerful than her, as well as being younger and a bit more fit. To balance that Karsta had years more experience and more willingness to fight dirty, but that didn't quite even out. The girl was going to win, if the fight drew on long enough.

Cylene reached up to rum the blood away from her face, wincing in pain. "One more chance," she said, "join us. I don't want to kill such a capable warrior." Not only was Karsta tough, she had deliberately destroyed the Daxamite killing weapons she had brought, denying them to Warworld's forces to study.

Karsta looked her in the eye, then... hesitated. She didn't want to die, not here all alone, cut off from friends and allies. Instead of rushing to attack she walked towards Cylene as she sighed, "Maybe you're right."

Cylene tried to read the woman's mind but all she got was a exhausted muddle, Karsta appeared literally too tired to think straight. Their battle had stretched over a hour, and even she was exhausted. She could barely imagine how this older woman was coping.

"What do you want to do with me?" Karsta asked, her shoulders drooping a bit as she stood in front of the girl.

Cylene reached out to cup Karsta's chin, tilting her eyes up to meet her's. "Not much," she replied honestly, "just a genetic sample and a promise of loyalty. Once you give that...."

Karsta smiled at Cylene, the younger woman smiling back hopefully. Even as she unleashed her heat vision full power Karsta said, "I'm sorry."

"YEARRGH!" Cylene howled as she took the burst of heat vision right to the face, caught completely off guard by how well Karsta had hidden her thoughts. Blinded she staggered backwards, clutching her face as pain tore through her face like a knife.

Knowing Cylene would recover fast Karsta took off, flying up and punching right through the armored shell of Warworld and into space. Slipping her breathing unit back on she raced away as fast as she could, soaking up more pure sunlight as she ran.

'I have to get to Earth,' Karsta thought, 'they have to know what they're facing.' As much as she hated to admit it if she had stayed to fight, Cylene would have beaten her. She seemed to have been holding back fighting Karsta, and she didn't want to imagine what the girl might do if she really got angry.

Shockingly, a familiar voice intruded in her mind. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE," Cybele said bleakly, her voice a roar in Karsta's brain, "I'LL SEE YOU BROKEN FOR THIS."

Summoning much of her remaining power, Karsta poured on the speed. 'Yes,' she thought to herself, 'I think she's pissed off.'

To be continued....


	40. Chapter 40

Project A-KO: The new Adventures of Supergirl

Chapter 40

Monitoring teams around the planet watched Warworld slow, then finally stop as it settled into the same orbit around the Sun as Mars. There was a mix of fear and concern on Earth as scientists and politicians tried to guess why the rogue planetoid had stopped, much less when it would continue it's attack on Earth.

Supergirl, known to some as A-ko and others as Laurel Kent, floated in the void of space outside the Watchtower, her red hair flowing around her face. She was feeling nervous, even a bit scared as well, but hid it all beneath a confident expression.

Captain Atom's silver skin caught the sunlight as he listened to a military report through his radio ear piece. "The Warworld has stopped," the red, blue and silver clad man reported to the rest of the space team, "and there appears to be damage to it's outer skin."

"Someone's having a fight," Kyla Scott, the green haired current Green Lantern of Earth noted. She wore the traditional body hugging uniform of the Corps, the black and green clothes surrounded by her ring's green glow.

J'onn J'onzz, the green skinned Martian Manhunter, frowned as if he felt a spike of pain. "There was a powerful omni directional telepathic burst," he informed them, "I think from Cylene. She is very angry."

"Any idea why?" Firestorm asked, the flames that made up his hair persisting even in the void of space. The red and gold clad hero drew at least part of his sustenance from pure solar energy, not even needing to breathe in space.

Supergirl swept the sky with her telescopic vision, then blinked as she called out a warning, "Incoming!"

The white haired woman in ripped and burned clothes was bleeding and battered as her wobbly flight pattern neared the Watchtower. Supergirl caught her as gently as she could, the older woman nearly delerious from pain as she croaked, "Warworld is coming."

"Calm yourself," J'onn ordered as he carefully touched the woman's face to aid in reading her mind. "She is Karsta Wor-Ul, a Kryptonian who allied with Superman at times."

"Who beat her up?" Kyla demanded, frowning angrily.

"Cylene," J'onn told them, "though it appears that she was also injured in the battle."

Captain Atom frowned as he looked at the injured woman. "We need to get her to medical assistance," he said briskly, "then...."

Supergirl nodded slightly, "It might be time to move."

Oracle was waiting as the team entered the airlock, the redheaded android frowning as she used the tower's systems to scan the woman. "I'll take Superwoman to the recovery bay," she said, "we'll have to use red sun radiation to cancel her powers before I treat her."

"Good," J'onn nodded, "then while you do that we'll start assembling a fast strike squad to investigate Warworld."

Within a few minutes a team of JLA members were pulled together, mostly from the current team. Green Lantern, Supergirl, Captain Atom, Firestorm and Martian Manhunter were all in, as was Hawkwoman, Power Woman, Troia and the sorceress Circe.

"Are you sure about this?" Power Woman asked Troia as she nodded towards Circe.

"I'm not thrilled," Donna Troy admitted, her black hair framing her ageless, Amazonian face, "but Circe has proven herself more than once over the years. My people trust her, as does Diana. I guess that means I have to trust her too."

"I see what you mean," Power Woman admitted, the muscular heroine pushing back her blonde hair. Karen Starr looked older than Troia, which was ironic since she had debuted earlier than her. But Karen's Kryptonian DNA only slowed aging, not stopped it like Amazonian magic. "I've had a few villains go straight," she added, "it makes things complicated."

"All right," Supergirl addressed the team briskly in the chamber nearest the airlock, "as far as we can tell, Karsta Wor-Ul was able to do enough damage in her attack to slow Warworld. That buys us a little time to try to investigate the planet, and if we're lucky we can increase the damage she already did."

Captain Atom stepped up, "Circe has offered to teleport us nearer to Warworld and I've accepted that offer because it may give us an element of surprise. Please assemble out on the moon's surface for the teleport."

"Why outside?" Firestorm wondered, "Why not teleport from in here?"

Circe gave him an amused look as she pointed out, "Because I would also teleport away the air around us, too."

With that the group filed outside, taking air masks for the members who needed them. Communicators were tested, environmental gear checked out and soon they were good to go.

"I'll try not to make the ride too bumpy," Circe noted as she began to chant, purple light rising from the surface of the moon to swirl all around her. Her hands swept down, a final word was chanted and they soundlessly disappeared.

Meanwhile on the Warworld,. Cylene bit back a cry of pain as medics worked to regenerate damaged receptors in her eyes. The beautiful blonde lay back on a medi-bed, two nurses in scrubs taking care of her facial burns while the doctor concentrated on the eyes.

Maxima of Almerac frowned as the tall redhead watched the treatment from a nearby chamber. 'It seems a full blooded Kryptonian can hurt us,' she mused. 'Or at least one as old and powerful as that one,' she corrected herself.

Before Maxima could go into the chamber a alarm rang out, the tone designed to instantly get attention. "Intrusion detected!" the voice declared, "Teleport signal from one-hundred miles above Warworld!"

"Let me up," Cylene struggled to sit up, her vision still blurry and unclear even as Maxima hurried to her side.

"No," Maxima ordered flatly as she put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, "rest and heal, little one." She smiled slightly, "My personal guard units have already been deployed. They possess the best hybrid DNA of all the chock troops, they will not fail me."

Cylene looked like she wanted to argue, but reluctantly lay back to let the healers work. "I'll wait," she told her mother, "but if they break through, I want a turn at them."

"You will," Maxima promised, using her mental gifts to help the child go to sleep. She looked at the doctor, a green skinned woman infused with intelligence boosting DNA from Colu. "Will she recover?" she demanded.

"Yes," Indigo Two answered promptly, "in fact her eyes were already beginning to regenerate before we started working. She has remarkable recuperative abilities!"

"And the burns she suffered?" Maxima asked.

"Even less of a problem," Indigo Two reassured her, "I don't even expect scarring."

"See that she doesn't scar," Maxima turned to go, "or we will have to see how you recover from similar injuries."

Indigo Two paled slightly. "Yes, ma'am," she nodded.

As the alarms blazed the Elite team of warriors raced through the outer hull to the source of the alarm, the women rightly guessing their foes would try to punch through Warworld's shell below where they arrived. Reaching the location they found only chaos and destruction, the hull torn open and Almeracians of lesser ability unconscious or restrained.

"Where are they?" Vera demanded, the black haired warrior glaring about. "Computer!" she called, "Location of the intruders?"

"One level bellow you," the voice answered calmly.

BOOM! The floor buckled and vomited beneath them, metal flying upward as Supergirl, Troia and Power Woman burst through the armor plate, followed right behind by the rest of the team. They raced to engage the stunned foes, soon filling the chamber with the sounds of battle.

Green Lantern's power ring scythed across the enemy, throwing some back with a energy snow plow. "Hey!" she shouted as the ring sent her data, "These ladies are part Daxamite! They're at least part invulnerable."

Supergirl finished up one warrior, two punches being needed to put her down. "Dazamites, huh?" she smiled grimly, "Then we don't need to hold back."

To be continued….


	41. Escape from Warworld!

Project A-KO: The new Adventures of Supergirl

Chapter 41

Superman's head jerked up as he felt the floor shake, the very substance of Warworld vibrating gently. The planet was under attack, he was sure of it, and that meant it was time. Bathed under red sun lamps and low level Kryptonite Superman was weakened, but not as weak as his captives thought. Living on Earth for over fifty years had filled his cells with the energies of it's yellow sun, strengthening him past his normal weaknesses.

"Ready?" Superman whispered, looking over at the two nearest fellow captives. Wonder Woman nodded seriously as Vril Dox began to carefully wiggle a piece of debris into his cuffs, working at the alien device carefully.

"Get on with it or I'll pick the lock before you break free," Vril told him, the blond haired, green skinned scientist working away.

"Heh," Superman exerted himself to his fullest exctent, feeling the unique chains straining where they were bolted to the wall. The black haired man gritted his teeth as he strained, the chains creaking ominously before the alien alloy finally broke.

"Are you all right?" Wonder Woman asked, Princess Diana looking at her panting husband worriedly as her curly black hair fell around her face.

Superman looked up with a smile as he whipped the piece of chain around to destroy the red sun projector, then smashed the Kryptonite device. His strength swiftly growing he tore his other arm free, then set about freeing the others as alarms began to ring.

"About time," Vril noted, the jumpsuit clad alien having picked his locks before Superman could get to him.

"The New Gods are all catatonic," Wonder Woman noted as she examined the dark gods of another age. Granny Goodness, Dessad and the others lay there lifeless, like shells that had been abandoned somehow.

"Huh," Tygor or the Omega Men blinked, the orange furred beast warrior one of the next ones freed after Wonder Woman. "Maybe they couldn't handle defeat?" he guessed.

"Thank you," Lar Gand of Daxam smiled at his old friend from Earth. They had met as teens, Lar amnesiac from his rocket crash, and Clark had named him 'Mon-El', thinking he was a long lost brother. Eventually they learned the truth of his origins, but they had remained friends for years.

"You're welcome," Superman smiled wryly.

The survivors of the prison gathered as Wonder Woman helped them stand in some cases, the aliens dehydrated and weak. But there was courage in their eyes and they all seemed determined to not return to captivity again.

Adam Strange smiled grimly, the human champion of Rann having been caught up in the war too. But the brown haired adventurer seemed undaunted as he hefted a improvised metal bat and asked, "All right, what do we do now?"

"Someone's attacking Warworld," Vril Dox said briskly, "we have to seize the opportunity to escape. I need all of you to do your best if we're attacked."

"Aye!" several battered aliens of different types cried.

"I thought," Wonder Woman murmured to Vril quietly, "you wanted to leave them here?"

Vril looked at her calmly as he said, "If I must bring everyone along, I can use them as a distraction while I escape alone."

"What a jerk," Mon-El blinked.

"All right," Superman put his hands on the hatch seperating their brig from the rest of Warworld, "let's go." The metal screeched and groaned as he strained his muscles, then with a crash he tore it free.

As they ran out into the hall several guards had gathered, watching in shock as they poured out. "Stop them!" the leader raised her gun, "Fire!"

Wonder Woman moved like a dancer, the silver armbands she wore glinting as she easily blocked every shot, in several cases actually bouncing them back into the soldiers' midst! She rushed them before they could react, stripping them of weapons even as she struck with just enough force to knock them out.

"Incredible," Adam Strange muttered as he grabbed the fallen guns and distributed them to the less powered captives.

Vril Dox hefted the gun thoughtfully, nodding as he muttered, "It'll do." He looked over at Superman and Mon-El as he demanded, "Have your vision powers returned?"

"Somewhat," Superman used his x-ray and telescopic visions to scan the territory around them, "there are life pods above us, but with the weapons of Warworld active, they'd be shot out of space."

"Who's attackin' this place?" Tygor asked, sighting down the hall in case more soldiers appeared, "An' where are they?"

"I can't see that far, yet," Superman admitted, "it's more than a third of the radius of Warworld away from us."

"Then let's hit the power section for this section of Warworld," Mon-El offered, "at least that way the life pods can launch without being fired on."

Wonder Woman looked at Superman and both nodded then she said, "Sounds like a plan."

Using their weakened vision powers Mon-El and Superman lead the rag-tag group deeper into Warworld, the band of warriors fighting off several assaults of guards. Most Almeracian guards seemed to have some degree of superhuman power, basically strength and durability, but they were woefully unskilled compared to the superheroes.

"I'm surprised we're doing so well," Adam Strange admitted as they reached a major power conduit. Using salvaged rope they lowered themselves to follow the line down to the core.

"It's obvious," Vril Dox said shortly as Superman, Mon-El and Wonder Woman provided a aerial guard, "the Almeracian's have no real experience with their powers. At best they've trained against each other in mock combat, but Superman has been fighting hard for thirty years. The difference in experience is telling."

"So if we run inta a experienced warrior," Tigor noted as he used his claws to climb, "we're gonna be in trouble."

"There it is!" Superman pointed as they neared a glowing sphere surrounded by conduits and armored segments. He scanned it with his x-ray vision, "A crystaline fusion core, centuries ahead of Earth. It might even be more advanced than old Kryptonian technology."

"Let me through,:" Vril growled as he stomped over to the controls. Within a minute of studying them he nodded briskly, "Initiating shutdown now."

"I'm impressed," Adam Strange noted wryly.

Vril sniffed, "As if I care what a Earth monkey thinks." He looked at Superman as he reported, "I can put the security lock-outs under my control;, make it difficult to fix, but they will be able to restart it eventually."

"Good enough," Superman agreed as he and Mon-El scooped up the mostly non-powered aliens. "We're taking them to the life pods."

"Hurry," Vril ordered as he watched them and Wonder Woman race off. He turned back to the controls thoughtfully, "Now, if I...."

"Hey, lemme down!" Tygor complained as they flew him to a life pod, "I wanna fight!"

"You will," Wonder Woman answered as she set him down. She met his eyes, "The pods can be piloted to Earth, they'll need your help."

"You don't think you'll win?" Tygor looked surprised as he stood in the hatch of the life pod.

Wonder Woman shrugged, "Even if we completely destroy Warword, the Almeracian Elite have been augmented to survive in space. They'll come to Earth regardless, so...."

Tygor nodded slightly as he said, "All right, I'll protect yer planet for you. But you'd better leave enough of 'em to be a good fight!"

"Will do," Wonder Woman smiled before the pods were locked, then launched into the void of space to zoom safely away.

"Who gets to carry Dox to a life pod?" Mon-El asked as they soared back to the power core.

"Draw straws?" Wonder Woman suggested wryly, the three emerging into the power core chamber to find Dox hard at work.

"I think I can use the emergency releases to blow the power core into space," Dox said briskly, "help me with this."

"I thought you just wanted to get away?" Superman asked mildly.

Vril Dox smiled unpleasantly, "Not without letting them know they underestimated me first."

To be continued....


	42. Attack and Response

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Maxima cursed as Warworld shuddered, then the redhead watched in shocked as one of the fusion power cores that fueled Warworld blasted out away from the planet. It soared out away from their fortress world then detonated, blazing like a small sun as the shock wave hit them like the hammer of a angry god!

Feedback detonated control panels and view screens, smoke curled through the recycled air and the lights dimmed before the emergency lighting kicked in. The restored light revealed a charnel house, the women on the bridge dead or dying.

Shasti pulled herself from the rubble, the black haired woman bleeding from a messy scalp wound. "Deidre, are you all right?" she asked looking around. A bloody hand was visible from where her station had been, now a pile of smoking wreckage. "No!" Shasti screamed, tearing at the wreckage with her bare hands, not caring about the sharp metal.

"Back away," Maxima ordered as she gently pushed Shasti back. 'I should have made sure the bridge crew had the warrior adaptions, too,' she thought bleakly as she used her superior strength to pull rubble aside. She scanned with her telepathy and found nothing, but still hoped...

Deidre lay in the rubble, her neck twisted in a horrible angle from the explosion. Shasti felt for a pulse, tears streaming down her face, then shuddered as she felt nothing. "Deidre," she moaned as she cradled the broken body in her arms, "oh, no."

Maxima stepped away, letting the woman grieve even as she went to her command chair. "Auxiliary control, are you still online?" she asked flatly, using the communication devices in her skin tight battle armor.

"We got quite a jolt," the women buried deeper in Warworld's armored shell said grimly, "but yes, we're online."

"Planetary status, Sylvie?" Maxima asked as medical and engineering teams rushed the bridge, hauling the dead and injured away. She watched as the sobbing Shasti was taken along with her lover, Deidre, and fought down a pang of grief.

"We're down to three functioning fusion cores," the young woman replied crisply, "that's enough to power weapons and shields, but we no longer have energy enough to move the planet. We're still drifting towards Earth, but we can no longer accelerate."

"Understood," Maxima said, watching as a metal transmutator reshaped the damage on the bridge, erasing the ruined controls so that new ones could be put in place, "what's our tactical status?"

"Two forces are currently attacking," Sylvie said grimly, "a group of prisoners, and a group of Earth heroes attacking from outside. We believe it was the prisoners lead by Superman and Wonder Woman who launched the fusion core into space."

"Are they still here?" Maxima asked coldly.

"They launched life pods from that section," Sylvie offered a bit more timidly, "but life form readings show they are still there. I believe they're trying to connect to where Supergirl and her allies are attacking us."

"All right, deploy forces to try to stop them," Maxima ordered, cutting the connection. Addressing a technician on the bridge she asked, "How soon until we're operational?"

Anri sighed, the pink haired woman pushing sweaty hair from her eyes, "It will be ten to twenty minutes, ma'am. I need to rebuild entire control runs burned out from feedback..."

"Do it," Maxima nodded seriously. She looked at the replacement bridge staff, "I'm going to mobilize other forces, monitor things here."

"Yes, ma'am!" Nene nodded, saluting.

Striding down the hallway Maxima reached the lift, noting it was offline due to battle damage. Calmly she stepped into the opening and flew down under her own power, even as she reached out with her mind. "Lashina?" she thought.

The former New God, now a servant of Warworld, answered quickly, "Yes, my queen?"

"I want you to deploy Cylene's special team," Maxima ordered, "along with a squad of the Elites. You must stop the attacking Earthers."

"May we kill them?" Lashina asked eagerly.

"Only if absolutely necessary," Maxima ordered as she reached the medical level and flew down a hallway, "I want their DNA."

"Understood," Lashina sounded a bit disappointed, but she knew not to cross the queen.

"Now go," Maxima ordered, "crush the Earthers, especially Supergirl."

The wounded were brought from every level, the fusion core detonation having wreaked havoc across Warworld. The doctors did the brutal art of triage, shifting out the wounded, the dying and the dead, or at least the soonest dead. Maxima walked around the dying, a gentle word and comforting touch all she could offer them, staying out of the way of the staff. Wherever she could she used her mental gifts to ease pain and suffering, but she was only one woman among many injured.

'I am trying to save these people,' Maxima reminded herself as she went to the regeneration chamber Cylene rested in, 'the human's DNA is the key to our survival.' Somehow, after seeing the dead, telling herself that wasn't helping as much as it normally did.

Cylene had pulled herself out of the chamber already, the young blond woman toweling off the alien fluid even as she watched a update on a nearby screen. She tossed the cloth aside and pulled on a simple one piece armored suit, her expression grim. "Mother," she nodded as Maxima entered, sealing her garb at the neck.

Maxima looked Cylene over, glad to see her daughter was mostly recovered. There was still a red tenderness around her eyes, but otherwise the young woman stood straight and tall. "I am glad you are well, daughter," she said quietly.

"I'm glad you're all right," Cylene agreed, hugging her quickly, "when I heard there were injuries on the bridge..."

"We lost good people," Maxima murmured, sighing.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Shasti put Deidre's hand down, the black haired women bowing her head over the now cooling body. "I'm sorry," she finally murmured softly, then got up, turning resolutely away and striding out of the morgue and through the medical bay.

"You still haven't been treated," a nurse tried to get in her way, her red hair falling into gentle eyes.

"It's fine," Shasti waved her off as she left, "there are more important people to treat."

Shasti made her way to the lift, then noticed it was still not working. Finding a ladder she made her way up through the skin of Warworld, eventually reaching a weapons locker. It didn't take much effort to find the gear she needed, and she calmly loaded up with weapons.

Wearing the armored bodysuit of a Elite Shasti felt like a fraud, but she continued on as she advanced through the crowded corridors. The sounds of battle began to echo as she crept closer, then coming around a corner she saw the combat raging.

Lashina struck with her whips, the explosion sending the earth Green Lantern reeling backwards. A elite soldier followed up with blaster fire, even as Ranko attacked with inhuman speed. She was not much stronger than a human but struck with incredible precision and speed, sending foes reeling.

Supergirl was fighting off a wave of Elite, the redheaded woman fighting to break free. The woman had clearly realized they were not as good as the Earth heroes, and were determined to make up for it in numbers.

Firestorm struck outward with his nuclear bursts, transmuting matter. The oddly inhuman hero's flame hair fluttered as he sealed up attackers in steel and other substances, trying to find a way to stop them without killing anyone.

'Weakling,' Shasti thought, fingering the knife at her waist as she watched from cover.

J'onn J'onzz the Martian Manhunter traded blows with the leader of the New Gods, Grayven. The brutish man tried to outpower the alien, but the slippery Martian shapeshifted out of the way, his body mutable as water,.

Power Woman moved to back up Supergirl, blasting out with heat vision to disperse the Elites. "We're getting overwhelmed," she told the younger heroine flatly.

"I know," Supergirl answered, "but we just have to hold them until the next wave arrives." Raising her voice she called, "Circe?"

"I'm on it," the purple haired sorceress nodded, blasting a attacker away. "Be right back," Circe told them as she disappeared.

Hawkwoman soared through the fight, her made striking with incredible force. Just behind her the Thangarian called Dawnstar tried to catch up, the black haired woman's eyes narrowed in determination. "Give it up!" Dawnstar yelled.

"Never," Katar Thal surprised her by stopping nearly cold, punching her in the face and sending Dawnstar reeling backwards. "How could you join these... scum?" she demanded, attacking.

"Our leaders decided," Dawnstar shot back as she blocked a attack with her forearm, "I followed. It's that simple."

"Not if you have a conscience," Katar shot back.

Part of Shasti wanted to shoot the traitor, but she knew there would only be one shot before she was found out. Instead she crouched, ready, as she loosened the weapons in their sheaths to make drawing them easier.

"You're too weak!" Ranko yelled as she kicked the steel clad hero Captain Atom in the face, sending him reeling backwards towards the alcove Shasti hid in.

'Yes,' Shasti decided, drawing the vibro-knife.

"Ugh," Captain Atom winced in pain, shocked that the blow had actually broken his nose. 'What are these people made of?' he wondered, shocked. He fired off a quantinum blast, driving the attacker back as he tried to recover his wits.

With determination and speed Shasti leaped from cover, knife in one hand and shock grenade in the other. She slapped the grenade on the silver skinned man's back then jumped away just as it triggered, the blast sending him plummeting to the ground.

Captain Atom yelped as he crashed down hard, dazed and confused by the blast. "Cap!" Power Woman tried to yell a warning, fighting off a swarm of Elites.

Shasti ran up to him, vibro-knife humming in her hand as she kicked him onto his back. "Hello, Earther," she dropped to her knees and grabbed him by the hair, "regretting coming here, yet?"

"No, don't...," Captain Atom yelped, seeing the blade with alarm.

"Coward," Shasti said flatly, raising the knife. "This is for Deidre, bastards!" she howled, driving the knife down and sawing into the alloy skin.

"Get to cover!" Captain Atom yelled as he shoved Shasti away, curling up into a ball as he tried to contain the spilling radiation.

Shasti looked on dumbfounded as the radiation sensors in her suit screamed at her, them with a cry of pain Captain Atom simply... exploded!

To be continued...


	43. Warworld Battles!

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Quantinum jump. It was the most unpredictable of Captain Atom's abilities, the talent to absorb extreme amounts of energy and jump forward in time. The first time it happened he leaped forward nearly thirty years, triggered by a nuclear explosion. Trapped in the present he had carried on as best he could, using his powers to protect others. Now Captain Atom could feel the connection to the future flickering, his injuries nearly making him leap.

The rip in Captain Atom's skin spewed unearthly energies as he kicked the badly burned warrior off him, staggering away from the others. "Get clear!" he yelled, pressing his hands to the cut in his skin, trying to close off the energy.

"Let me help," Supergirl demanded, the redhead forcing his hands apart to reveal the gaping wound. "This is going to hurt," she told him as she pressed the torn organic/metal hybrid together.

"Aaargh!" Cap yelped as her heat vision began to fuse the cut together, working from the bottom to the top. Somehow the way her heat ability worked wasn't feeding the jump effect, but he had to fight to stay in place. Finally the agony faded, the silver skinned man slumping in exhaustion.

"Are you all right?" Supergirl asked intently.

"I think so," Captain Atom smiled weakly, "just weak as a kitten."

The whole Warworld shook around them, the lights in the underground tunnel dimming for a second. "What was that?" Power Woman demanded, the busty blond looking around grimly.

J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter, frowned as the green skinned humanoid focused his abilities. "Someone has launched one of the planet's fusion cores into space," he revealed, "I'm picking it up from the minds of several warriors."

"Any idea who?" Firestorm asked as he transmuted air into metal, sealing up another member of the Elite. Suddenly the warrior howled in pain, ripping at the metal enclosing her before she collapsed.

"What did you do?" Hawkwoman asked as she flipped in midair, catching Dawnstar by surprise and tacking the woman to the metal floor.

"I tried sealing her in lead," Firestorm admitted.

"Of course," Supergirl said as Grayven, the son of Darkseid, revived to attack again, "Daxamites are vulnerable to lead! If these people used Daxamite DNA to gain their powers..."

"Then lead will ruin their day," Kestel dropped down from a shadowed section of the roof, seizing a chunk of lead and striking another Elite across the face. The much stronger woman was staggered, then Kestrel used her superior martial arts skill to put her down.

"I see Circe's arrived with reinforcements," Supergirl noted, grinning as the team put down the last survivors of the latest wave of attackers.

"Well, you couldn't handle it yourself, so...," Steel looked amused as the armored woman descended with other members of the JLA. B-ko smiled slightly as her boot thrusters slowed her descent, "What's the situation?"

In a burst of scarlet Flash raced through the corridors faster than even the Elite could react, swiftly searching the halls. "SupermanandWonderWomanarefree . ..." she speed babbled.

"Iris, slow down," Supergirl ordered.

"Sorry," Iris looked sheepish as Flash repeated more slowly, "Superman and Wonder Woman are free They and Vril Dox blew out a fusion core. They are about a third of this planetoid away now and are heading this way."

"Should we meet them?" Power Woman asked, calmly punching out a weakened Elite.

"WE don't want to lose momentum," Martian Manhunter cautioned, "I think we should press on towards the command center."

Supergirl hesitated, part of her deeply wanting to wait and see if her parents were all right. Still, she had a greater responsibility to the world itself... "We move on," she decided.

"Then let's go," Kyla Scott said intently, Green Lantern's ring blazing as she cut through armor to lead the team deeper into Warworld.

"I have to go," Captain Atom said regretfully to Supergirl. "With this damage to my skin, if it gets hit again..."

"Boom?" Supergirl guessed.

"At least," Captain Atom nodded grimly. "Good luck," he added.

"We'll make our own luck," Supergirl flashed a smile, "but thanks, you too."

In a blaze of energy Captain Atom was gone, disappearing in the void of space, heading in the direction of Earth. "We could have used his raw power," B-ko noted mildly.

"With his injuries he's as large a threat to us as the enemy," Supergirl shrugged as the expanded Justice League followed Green Lantern into the depths of Warworld. "Where's D-ko?" she asked her friend curiously.

"I've got her on the surface trying to interface with Warworld's systems," B-ko said as they swiftly flew down a passage. She switched frequencies on her battle armor's communicator, "Mecha, how is it going?"

Crouched on the surface of the planet the silver metal woman had her hand buried in the guts of a control box, tendrils connecting her systems to the planet. "Not too badly," D-ko admitted quite cheerfully, "whomever built this place didn't seem to have electronic invasion in mind, there are almost no security systems."

"Can you send us a map?" B-ko asked, multitasking as she fired off a brace of missiles against another group of attacking Elite. The explosives didn't do much damage, but the trace amounts of lead in the shells weakened the attackers.

"Coming now," Mecha promised as a file popped up on B-ko's heads up display built in her armor visor. "I will continue to suborn systems in Warworld."

"Can you stop it or shut down weapons?" B-ko asked as she punched a woman in the gut, dropping the already dazed attacker.

"The critical systems appear to be hardwired in some fashion," Mecha noted with a frown. "However I will continue my efforts."

"Thanks," B-ko grinned as she moved up to Supergirl's side, who had just finished pummeling another young woman down. "Are you all right?" she asked quietly.

"I hate this," Supergirl admitted frankly as she let the warrior slide to the ground, "these are kids, barely older than we are."

"Well," B-ko told her friend reasonably, "if we're going to stop it, we have to stop their leaders."

"Maxima and Cylene," Supergirl sighed.

"Mecha managed to download a map," B-ko said as she comfortingly squeezed her friend's shoulder, "we're on our way."

"Then let's do this," Supergirl agreed as they continued on, forging through mobs of powered girls of many types.

Frankly, Supergirl was getting more and more stunned by the sheer variety of powers these Elite were throwing at them. There were growing girls and shrinking girls, magnetic girls, shape shifters, several telepaths, telekinetics, lightning throwers and others. It reminded her faintly of her father's stories about the Legion of Super-Heroes, except that it was all girls.

"Where did Kestrel take off to?" Firestorm asked, transmuting some more wall panels into lead to weaken some of their foes.

Just then the floor shook, the lights dimmed and then brightened once more. Kestrel popped out of a air duct, her costume dusty as she smiled smugly. "There was a power core in our area," she explained, "it's been ejected, now."

"Mecha, how many cores are there?" B-ko asked.

"Four total," Mecha answered after quickly checking, "two have been disabled, the Warworld is now running on half power."

Before anything more could be said the whole tunnel shook, pieces of armor falling from the roof to clatter around them. "Incoming!" Black Canary yelled, the black clad heroine holding onto a wall fixture as the hall bucked.

The floor exploded upward as she appeared, the blond haired young woman wearing a suit of light, black and silver armor, her eyes glowing a ominous red. "C-ko," Supergirl breathed out, looking at her transformed friend.

"I am not C-ko," the woman shook her head, "I am Cylene, beloved."

"Beloved?" Kyla Scott raised a eyebrow, visible even under her Green Lantern mask.

"Silence," Cylene gestured, a burst of telekinetic energy throwing Green Lantern into a wall before she could react.

"Why you...," Firestorm moved to attack, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Stop," Supergirl barked out the order even as she walked towards Cylene. "Everyone, back off," she said quietly.

B-ko clenched her first, part of her wanting to rush over to the familiar, yet transformed girl. Still she held her position, standing by Kestrel and ready to act.

"Wise," Cylene conceded, "I could kill your minions easily."

"They're not my minions," A-ko corrected as she met Cylene's eyes, "they're my friends." She extended her hand to Cylene, "Just like you are."

Cylene batted the hand aside as she said bitterly, "JUST a friend? I love you, A-ko! I have loved you for YEARS and you did nothing."

"C-ko, I...," A-ko started.

Cylene looked grimly determined, "I will make you mine, A-ko. I have become the perfect fusion of prime DNA, and I will have you even if it must be by force."

"Stop this, C-ko," A-ko plead, "innocents are going to die if this continues. If you care at all for your people, you have to..."

"I have to do NOTHING," Cylene said harshly. "I listened to my mother, and I understand what has to be done for my people." She stood up straight, meeting A-ko's eyes defiantly, "We will harvest the DNA we need from Earth, the strongest will join us and you will be at my side as my concubine."

Supergirl met her eyes defiantly, "Never."

"Oh really?" Cylene smiled even as the power of her mind hit Supergirl like a sledgehammer, driving the woman to her knees.

"No!" Power Woman yelled, seizing the opportunity to hammer Cylene while she was focused on Supergirl, sending her reeling back.

"I'll bind her in lead," Firestorm transmuted the air into bonds, tying the villainess up. To his shock she casually broke free even as she backhanded a surprised Power Woman.

"I do not share the lead vulnerability," Cylene smiled coldly, "so what else will you try, weaklings?"

To be continued...


	44. Attack Earth!

Project A-Ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl.

Chapter 44

Superman tore down a wall, feeling a pang of stress in his muscles. The black haired man looked mostly recovered, but he was still suffering the after effects of the long tern Kryptonite and red sun exposure. Thankfully the Almerac warriors needed yellow sunlight to fuel their powers, and the lamps in Warworld were set to simulate it, so he was re-charging fast.

Mon El, looking much like a brother to Superman, helped blast down another wall with his own heat vision. He, Superman, Wonder Woman and Vril Dox were pushing deeper into the alien Warworld, having sent the alien captives to Earth via lifeboats. As they advanced they were set upon by waves of the young women who seemed to crew the planet, but their lack of experience with their powers meant they were reasonably easy to handle.

'As long as they don't get a large enough wave together,' Mon El thought as he dodged a blow, 'numbers can win over skill.'

"My vision seems to be improving," Superman noted as he used his x-ray and telescopic visions to sweep the planet, a grin teasing his lips, "I see who's attacking Warworld."

"Who?" Wonder Woman demanded as she let the elite warrior she was pummeling fall limply to the ground. Despite her uniform being in tatters she looked regal and strong, a smile teasing her lips.

"A-ko and the Justice League," Superman said. He seemed to soften slightly, looking more like the salary man Clark Kent, "She's taken up the mantle, just like we hoped."

Vril Dox finished modifying one blaster and holstered it, then drew the other as the geen skinned, blond haired Colulian followed the more powerful heroes. "Don't get sentimental," he barked, "it'll weaken your focus. We have to stop this attack, or your entire planet will be just raw genetic material for these madmen."

"Dox..." Mon El shook his head, sighing at his occasional comrade. "Aren't you ever proud of your son?" he wondered.

"He took over the LEGION from me," Vril said dryly, "what has your kid done?"

Wonder Woman just decided to ignore that. Putting her hand on Superman's arm Diana asked, "Where is she?"

"About half way across the planet," Superman noted, shaking his head. "They're fighting towards the command center in that region."

"Can you tell if Maxima is there?" Vril asked him briskly.

"No," Mon El noted, trying his own powers, "there's some kind of disruptor field around them. I can't see in there clearly."

"He's right," Superman confirmed, frowning thoughtfully.

"So we advance to the nearest command center," Wonder Woman decided, "even if it isn't the main one, I think we and Vril can do some damage there."

Vril finished altering the second gun as he nodded, "Give me any access to their primary data hub and I can cripple this place."

"Then let's go," Superman agreed, casually backhanding a attacking teenager, then the rest helping him deal with the dozens who followed.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

On and around the planet Earth, there was a chaotic swarm of battle. Flying superheroes met the first wave of Almeractian troops, the young women who had set out before Warworld was crippled. They expected a easy battle with their overpowering abilities.

They were wrong.

"Amazons!" Artemis yelled as the strawberry blond lead the charge, raising her bow as she continued, "Drive them to the sea!"

"I don't think it works like that, red!" Harley Quinn yelled, the blond using a humongous mallet to clobber a already shaken girl. She staggered backward, then the black haired girl was entangled in Poison Ivy's plants.

"Listen to me," Ivy purred as her pheromones and pollen washed over the teen, "you see only me, you obey only me."

"Obey," the girl said dreamily.

"Attack the others from Warworld and send them away for me," Ivy said, releasing the girl from the restraining vines. With a angry snarl she flew right into the already confused attackers, blasting away with heat vision.

Black Canary cut loose with her Canary cry, staggering another soldier and sending her crashing to the ground. A Amazon carrying a mystical blade cut the girl down before she could rise, then coolly cleaned her blade on the corpse.

"You didn't need to kill her," Black Canary scowled. Allison Queen paused a moment to get her bearings, taking in the wild battle around the island.

"Yes, I did," Cila, the red haired Amazon shot back, "this scum fried my lover."

In the skies above the island Starfire and her daughter Nightstar dove and weaved between the attacking women, blasting them with bursts of energy. Both women were experienced tacticians, using their powers to disable foes or to knock them into the reach of a Amazon.

The golden armored Fury tore a alien girl from the sky, the mystical heroine fully in bezerker mode. Helena Kosmatos was the host to one of the mythic Furies, and often struggled to control it. The battle madness now was a boon, giving her the strength and speed to face a half dozen attackers and drive them back.

Jesse Chambers ran with her immense speed, anger crackling through her body. For months she had been possessed by Rival, forced to injure those connected to the Flash legacy. Now that she was free she had a lot of anger to work out, and the invaders were perfect targets.

"Wow," Artemis murmured as Jesse Quick hit a blond at mach one, sending the girl flying away across the water. "Amazons, fight beside our allies!" she cried, "We will win!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

President James Olson frowned as the redhead was ushered out of the White House, his security team a mix of secret service and Checkmate agents. "Hurry, Mr. President," the leader of his detail said briskly, "the first attack waves are hitting the planet."

"I'm aware, and where are you going to stuff me, exactly?" James asked as he hurried to the waiting armored flying limo, "The enemy flies, remember?"

Laura Young smiled wryly, the Checkmate agent ready to put her semi-invulnerable body between him and danger. She had a crush on Olson like you wouldn't believe, but kept it under control The black haired woman said, "They also have powers to attack the White House from orbit. Getting you clear is a priority."

"Point," James conceded as they climbed in.

They rocketed away from the building, even as they saw Natasha Irons being sent off in a seperate vehicle. His VP was without her powered armor, irritatingly, but she was still a brilliant researcher and politician. Even if she was a Republican.

"Steel team reports she's away," John Valor noted, the black haired young man sitting across from James.

James had always wondered if John was born with that name, but he'd never had the guts to ask. "So, are we headed for Air Force One?" he asked thoughtfully.

"The former JLA embassy," Laura said briskly, "DEO files indicate there's still a functioning teleport booth there. We'll use it to send you to the JLA Watchtower."

"I will not leave the United States while we're under a state of war," James shook his head firmly, "take me to the Pentagon bunker."

"Sir, we can't protect you there...," John started, when a alarm wailed.

"Incoming!" the driver yelled as he skewed the limo right, trying to avoid what was coming.

"Crap," James hissed as the limo bucked, "hold on!"

The explosion lit up the sky, the limo just... disappearing in a burst of incredible energies. The teenager who hit the limo was flying several times the speed of sound, the kinetic energy combined with her invulnerability destroying the Limo in a instant.

She paused a moment in midair, the petite green haired girl using her vision to scan for survivors. To her surprise she found one, descending to the earth and hovering over the broken, bloody body of Laura Young.

Laura felt her ribs shift, blood filling her mouth. "You... why...?" she managed to wheeze.

"Your President was a valid target," the woman explained calmly. "I am Zee. Your genetics must be quite strong, to have survived my attack."

"Wha...," Laura croaked.

"You will be remembered," Zee promised as she used her laser vision to put the woman out of her misery.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Oracle listened with horror as the reports rolled in. Clearly the Almeracians had very good intelligence, better than anyone expected. The President of the United States, dead. The Chairman of the People's Republic of China, dead. The President of Russia was alive, barely, but Red Star had died in saving him. Paradise Island was besieged, as was Atlantis, though both were successfully beating back the attacks.

"We should have done more, we were too arrogant," Oracle sighed, the android glaring at the monitor screens.

"You passed warnings on to everyone," Lena Luthor noted, having teleported up to the Watchtower during the attack on Metropolis. "Hell, you offered every leader League communication devices, they just refused them," she shrugged.

"I know," Oracle sighed. She looked over at Lena as she added quietly, "Your girlfriend is still crying in the bathroom."

Lena winced slightly. Jessica had been heartbroken over hearing about her father's death just a hour ago. She had kept a stiff upper lip as the battle for Metropolis raged, but once the fight had ended she finally broke down.

"Can I go...?" Lena asked.

"With your command codes I'm into the Lexcorp satellite network," Oracle said, "and I'm deploying the weapon systems now."

"Good," Lena nodded, then hurried off.

Oracle mobilized the defenses, then set about calling every retired superhero and even some supervillains she knew. If the aliens attempted another blitz attack like this, thinking they could win, they would deeply, deeply regret it.

A beep on her terminal signaled a call coming in, and Oracle accepted it only to freeze. "You," she breathed out.

Lex Luthor looked old and wizzened, but his blue eyes were still sharp. "I will not tolerate this kind of attack on Earth," he said flatly, "I'm mobilizing my soldiers to assist." He smiled slightly, "Don't try to trace this call, you'll be wasting your time."

Luthor cut off the transmission, and indeed Oracle found she couldn't tell where it had come from. Another signal came in, this time from space. "Oracle, someone's launched another attack on Warworld," Green Lantern reported, "it looks like Chemo, the original Metallo and several other villains. Any idea why..."

"Looks like we have some unexpected help," Oracle sighed.

To be continued...

Notes: I had no intention of having Lex Luthor stay dead forever. Heh! And it seems kind of fitting that he'd turn up to help fight off a alien invasion.

Okay, why kill off Jimmy Olson? The aliens had telepathic scans of Earth and knew who to hit to cause maximum chaos. If they didn't go for the President and other political leaders, it'd be unrealistic. And even a idiot with Superman powers is deadly, so...


	45. Battles of Warworld!

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Battles of Warworld

Maxima felt the Elite fall as Shasti's suicide attack detonated Captain Atom, their best warriors, cut down by the pulse of exotic radiation and energies pulsing from the Captain's wound. His agony was enough the even she felt it, from half way across Warworld. His allies quickly contained the damage, but at that point it was too late.

Cursing softly Maxima tried to access their chances. The allied aliens in Warworld were fighting, but nowhere near their full potential. Clearly they resented being drafted by her armies, no matter how they claimed to be allies. Only the Khund were fighting hard, which really did not surprise her, having landed in Russia and pushing hard against the armies assembled there.

Annoyingly, the humans had clearly prepared better for a invasion than Maxima had given them credit for. The superhuman community had stepped up to fight off her people's attacks, and on multiple fronts they were being beaten back. Astonishingly the Almeracians were also suffering serious losses, despite their immense powers.

The secondary control room bustled as her people worked, and Maxima felt a surge of pride at their professionalism. The women stayed focused and worked on managing weapons, damage control and defence, while also commanding their deployed forces. They knew that taking the genes of Earth would save their race, and would do what it took to achieve that goal.

Maxima tried to relax in her command chair, but it was hard. She had to project the image of being calm and in control, but things were gradually spinning out of her grasp. Superman and his allies were free, the Justice League was attacking and her troops were not fairing well against more experienced superhumans.

Then the deck bucked up hard underneath them, and Maxima had to fight to keep her seat. "Report!" she cried out as lights dimmed, then seemed to steady at a lower level.

A harried sounding technician replied, "We've lost a second fusion power core." She brought up Warworld on the holographic screen as she reported, "Internal systems appear to have been hacked, triggering the emergency release."

"Our combat status is seriously reduced," the tactical officer added grimly, "shields are still up, but we no longer have enough power for using the hull weapons. We can no longer execute the plan to attack Earth's moon or it's manufactured satellites."

Maxima fought down the urge to swear bitterly at that news. Attacking the moon and the JLA Watchtower was critical for their chances of success, and the structure was incredibly difficult to damage even with their alien weapons. It would take a squad of their strongest warriors to destroy it, assuming the JLA would even let them.

"We're getting reports of serious resistance on Paradise Island," the communications officer said grimly, "losses are exceeding our projections by a significant amount." She paused then looked over at Maxima a bit fearfully as she added, "Commander Hime is requesting permission to preform a strategic retreat until reinforced."

Maxima winced at that, though she fought not to show it. She had assigned one of their largest forces to the Island. If they couldn't win there with what were expected to be overwhelming numbers... "Where is the Thangarian attack force?" she asked.

"They've successfully landed in South America. The local armies are only providing limited resistance, but they expect guerrilla tactics from local forces. As well as Guerrilla City, of course," the tactical officer noted mildly.

"Have then peel off a division and reinforce Hime," Maxima ordered, "Paradise Island is a more serious threat than South America, right now."

"Understood," the young woman agreed.

The strikes against political leaders began to roll in, and Maxima smiled. The United States, China, Great Britain and others had all been hit successfully. Now they were transitioning to second in commands, which her telepaths would also target. She expected the second wave of attacks to be less successful than the first, but it would still be damaging.

Maxima studied the Warworld hologram, a much less pleasant sight. The attacking heroes were two red blotches, relatively small sized on the massive globe. Warworld was the size of a larger moon, more or less, and the impact they were having wasn't too large yet. But the damage they were doing was far out of proportion to their size. Her troops, despite being physically more powerful and outnumbering the attackers, were being driven back... or even defeated.

Maxima reached out with her telepathy, touching the mind of her daughter, Cylene. 'How goes it?' she asked silently.

'We're holding our own, Mother,' Cylene answered frankly. 'They are as powerful as we expected, possibly more so. I have marked several for possible genetic sampling.'

She was impressed by her daughter's confidence, considering they hadn't won yet. Maxima cautioned her, 'Easy, little one. They will not give in easily.'

'I know,' Cylene sounded amused, 'that's what makes this fun.'

'Try not to enjoy yourself so much,' Maxima thought, shaking her head. She severed the connection, even as she studied the current situation updates.

"Several of the Earth satellites are powering up," the tactical officer reported calmly. Her voice switched to alarm as she added, "Weapon systems coming online! Targeting Warworld!"

Maxima raised her eyebrows as she asked, "What kind of weapons?"

Sadly she didn't get a answer as the floor bucked again, the lights flickering as the outer layers of armor literally rang like a bell. Something had just hammered the outer surface of Warworld, powerful enough to send vibrations through the entire structure. Red lights were showing up on everyone's boards as damage reports poured in.

"What the hell was that?" Maxima demanded as the deck began to settle.

"A powerful kinetic impact," the woman on tactical reported after trying to clarify the data, "a one ton object hit the surface, estimated speed five times the speed of sound. It appears to have been launched from the weapons satellites we detected."

"Incoming transmission!" the communications officer cried, "It's blanketing all frequencies, someone wanted to be sure we got it."

"Put it on screen," Maxima ordered, wondering who had the sheer arrogance to challenge them like this.

The man who appeared on the screen was old, his body stooped a little with age. But he wasn't as old as one might expect, implying he had found some way to defy ageing a little. His bald head gleamed, and there were wrinkles on his face, but his eyes were as sharp and deadly as ever.

Maxima felt a faint chill as she recognized him. "Luthor," she breathed out.

Lex Luthor smiled slightly, the old man sitting in a comfortable chair in what looked like a den somewhere. A fireplace crackled nearby, and his desk was cluttered with stuff. "Maxima," he nodded slightly, "I thought you'd died." He shrugged after a moment, "I suppose it doesn't matter."

Maxima met his gaze as she demanded, "Did you attack my Warworld?"

Luthor snorted in amusement. "Of course I did," he said. He leaned forward, eyes glinting dangerously as he growled, "You attacked my home world, alien. Do you really think I would tolerate an insult like that?"

Maxima met his gaze coldly, "You are just a human being, Luthor, even if you are a brilliant one. I do not need to be concerned with hurting your feelings."

Luthor didn't take offence at that, instead he seemed mostly amused. "Yet my family's DNA was important enough to steal for your daughter, Cylene," he noted.

Maxima felt a stab of fear, wondering how the hell he could know that? She kept it out of her face and voice as she relied, "Get to the point, human."

Luthor leaned forward, "The point, then?" He smiled coldly, "You have attacked my world, threatened it's people and killed a President I respected, even if I didn't like Olsen." He sat back as his finger stabbed at a button, "My counterattack begins now."

The communication cut off even as tactical yelled a warning, "Multiple launches inbound! Impact in five seconds!"

Warworld was rocked by multiple strikes even as Maxima snapped out commands. "Get teams to attack the satellites," she ordered, "I don't want another set of launches getting off. And trace back that transmission! I want him DEAD."

"Strike team 35, deploy," the tactical officer relayed the orders, "target the satellites at relayed coordinates. Be prepared for anti-personnel devices as well."

Over at the communications station the girl there was getting frustrated. "I'm sorry," she told Maxima, "Luthor bounced his transmission through the Earth's network of communications in a manner that baffles me. I can't follow it back."

"Understood," Maxima nodded even as she tried to use her telepathy to reach out to him. Astonishingly she couldn't feel his mind, it was as if he had managed to completely shield his presence. Which, as far as she knew, should have been impossible.

Instead Maxima pulled her psychic influence back, instead carefully touching the mind of the leader of the strike team going after Luthor's weapons...

Aya viewed herself as one of the greatest of the children of Almerac, and the black haired woman had reason for her pride. She had been granted coveted Kryptonian DNA, and it had taken to her beautifully. Her mousy brown hair had gone a glossy black, her muscles had firmed out and best of all, she had gained nearly the full set of Kryptonian powers.

With her telescopic vision she studied the nearest satellite, sweeping it. The odd skull design was rather disturbing, but she focused past it to find the launch site itself. She quickly determined that there was a large scale rail-gun mounted there, a magnetically powered device that could accelerate a iron based object to incredible speeds. She felt a grudging admiration for such a device being built on such a backwards world, but she didn't have time to dwell on that.

Aya gestured for the rest of the team to hang back, choosing to test any defences against her invulnerability. She soared towards the base, sweeping with her vision powers, and saw what appeared to be a harmless solar array reflecting red tinted light over her. She shrugged it off, flying forward as a laser was then deployed.

'What fool would use a laser against us?' Aya had enough time to think before the green tinted beam cut her in half.

"Argh!" Maxima yelped as she disconnected from the woman's mind as she died in space, sliced in two somehow.

"My queen?" the communications officer looked at her in alarm.

Maxima recovered herself enough to say, "Something happened to one of the strike teams."

The young woman scrambled to check her systems, then the tactical officer paled. "Casualty reports are coming in from all teams," she said, "they were booby-trapped."

Silently Maxima cursed as the reports poured in. Clearly Luthor had spent a long time figuring out how to kill someone with Kryptonian powers. He had set up the traps masterfully, bathing her people in red sunlight to weaken their powers, then using a kryptonite based laser to kill them. It was masterful, in a evil sort of way.

The soldiers reorganized, and began to destroy the satellites from out of range of the defences. But as the victorious reports came in Maxima sat back and tried to look confident as she worried. So far this campaign had been much more difficult than expected... so what other surprises were waiting for them?

To be continued...


	46. Chapter 46

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Earth Side

Natasha Irons, acting President of the United States, took command of Earth's militaries in a room in the Moon based Watchtower complex of the Justice League. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be on Earth with her countrymen, but the sudden death of President Olsen showed her that was just foolish arrogance. The military needed a living commander, and there was no way she'd survive on Earth.

The planet Earth was being swept under a wave of superhumans, but they were being pushed back gradually. Natasha had to acknowledge that they had lost a good sized chunk of the US to the first blitz attack, but in the hours afterwards they were driving them off.

"Come on, every one!" Uncle Sam yelled, the white haired man in red, white and blue standing dramatically in the street in Washington DC, "Who wants to live forever?"

"I would, actually," Neon bitched, the multicoloured hero blasting a Almeractian woman out of the sky before she could heat-vision Uncle Sam. His black bodysuit seemed to draw in energy, while the multicoloured tracery of light around him glowed eerily.

Around them in the ruins of Washington the Freedom Fighters and the US Army were striking back against the aliens, driving them back with weapons and powers. Firebrand blasted a Khund trooper away with a fire blast, while armored Firebrand droids followed him in.

Black Condor soared in air combat against several Almeracians, even as he wished he was fighting the Thangarians instead. "Damn it, it's just not fair..." he started to say before a laser-vision bolt cut him in half.

"NO!" Human Bomb yelled angrily at seeing another comrade die. The while, glowing man looked at his teammate, "Toss me at them, Iron!"

Iron Monroe casually picked the Human Bomb up, the silver haired man smiling grimly, "Don't die on me, buddy." With that he threw the Bomb right into the mass of aliens, the explosion lighting up the sky for miles around.

"Wow," Miss America noted even as the black haired woman used her transmuting ability to disable a Khund tank. The Bomb would reform in a few minutes, then he would be ready to explode again. Hell of a power...

The Invisible Hood lurked around the edge of the battle, the mysterious cloaked hero using his cape and the strange mists that swirled around him to disable enemies. Like him Doll Man attacked when he could, the miniature man tripping and disabling troops.

Patricia Lynn Dugan, Starwoman, blasted several aliens back with her Stellar Rod, a device based off her sister's Cosmic Rod. The heroine blazed like a star as her force field absorbed energy fire, then she rechanneled it into bolts that seared the street clean of attackers.

"Nicely done, missy," Uncle Sam congratulated her.

"Don't call me that," Starwoman snapped back, "I'm only helping you idiots in hopes of finding my sister Courtney."

Red Bee hung back, not being a idiot. Instead, Jenna used her army of Red Bee androids to attack and harass the attackers, their 'energy stings' doing slow but steady damage. Her exo-suit offered some protection, but against a Almerac soldier she'd be turned into paste.

Iron Monroe, Captain Collin Challenger and Doc Damage together charged the ground forces, literally shoving the soldiers and their massive armored vehicle backwards. "Doc, I've meant to ask," Iron said grimly as he ripped a gun out of a soldier's hand, "are you related to the earlier Damage?"

Doc Damage smiled grimly under his half mask. "Sorry to say no," he conceded even as he used a explosive blast to boost a punch.

Collin Challenger, US Army and incidentally super strong and built like a talk, wryly noted that Doc Damage even had the same powers as the earlier Damage. Too bad the first Damage had his heart ripped out years back...

"Is it me or is this getting easier?" Collin asked wryly as the energy bolts constantly bouncing off of the three men eased off.

"I'll be damned," Iron muttered, "they're pulling back!"

"Doesn't mean we're done," Uncle Sam noted as he took his hat off and wiped his brow, "there's still a lot of fighting ahead of us."

Up on the Moon Natasha listened to the update from the commander on the spot, a Lt. Colonel Trevor. The older blond haired man stood at attention as he said, "We've successfully driven out the Khund land forces and their Almeracian air support."

"What's the damage to Washington?" Natasha had to ask, even though she expected it to be very, very bad.

"Almeracian suicide attackers destroyed both the house of congress and senate while they were meeting," Trevor admitted, "no survivors. The Pentagon has also been hit, but it wasn't a total loss."

"I thought the Pentagon bunker wasn't rated to stop that kind of attack?" Natasha asked, faintly surprised.

"It wasn't," Trevor reported, "but Agent Liberty and Codename Patriot successfully stopped the woman before she could hit." He paused before adding, "Neither survived."

Natasha puffed out a sigh, but nodded. "They will be remembered," she told him seriously, then signed off. Another report came in, and Natasha took the call, "Hello, Waller."

Amanda Waller smiled wryly at the disdain in Natasha's voice, but she didn't let it bother her. As the former head of the Suicide Squad, she knew Natasha disapproved of a program that let criminals go in exchange for assisting on missions and therefore didn't much like her. Even though she was now a Black King in Checkmate, that history remained.

"Black and White side agents have been deployed, as per UN security council resolutions on alien invasions," Waller told her. "Donna Troy, our White King, is out in the field leading attacks against the aliens as well."

"Good," Natasha nodded.

Waller hesitated then added, "I'm sorry about President Olsen. He was a good man."

"Thank you," Natasha said, smiling faintly. Changing the subject she asked, "Any new intelligence on Warworld?"

Waller smiled grimly. "Several espers in Checkmate service thing they know why the planet has slowed," she revealed, "they've had a prison break. Superhumans that Warworld had captured have broken free and are gumming up the works."

Natasha leaned forward "Any idea who?"

Waller actually smiled broadly. "Superman and Wonder Woman," she said with satisfaction, "they're alive and kicking ass."

"Thank god," Natasha breathed out, even though she was in theory a agnostic.

"The international superhuman community is stepping up against the aliens as well," Waller updated her, "the Global Guardians have retaken the United Kingdom and are launching attacks against mainland Europe. Japan has successfully repelled their invasion force, and the super villains are chipping in too."

"Understood, keep up the good work," Natasha nodded calmly before disconnecting.

A few moments later the head of Task Force X was on the line. She would never admit it to anyone, but Natasha was honestly intimidated by Bruce Wayne. She had known him as Batman, for crying out loud. Plus, he scared HER at times.

"Madam President," Bruce nodded regally, "I'm sorry you ended up in the job the way you have. Olson was a good man."

"Thank you," Natasha nodded.

"Now, down to business," Bruce said gruffly, "I need your permission to unleash everything Cadmus is holding back."

"Cadmus?" Natasha echoed. "And what do you mean, holding back?"

The Cadmus Project was the United States leading genetic engineering facility, thought calling it a facility was a understatement. Cadmus was a massive underground complex not far from Metropolis, filled with genetic superbeings and brilliant scientists.

"Cadmus is notoriously protective of their technology," Bruce told her, "they're refusing to release and DN Aliens to help fight without Presidential okay."

"I'll contact them," Natasha promised. "How are things on your end?"

The DEO is investigating a attempt by Braniac 6 to take over the world," Bruce said dryly, "Cameron Chase is leading the charge. The Suicide Squad is doing hit and run attacks on the Aliens, with some success. It looks like Luthor has mobilized the entire Secret Society against the aliens as well, though we can bet they'll turn on us once we win."

"Do you have a plan to deal with that?" Natasha had to ask.

Bruce smiled coldly, "I always have a plan."

Natasha decided not to press as she briskly ended the conversation, promising to call Cadmus. As Bruce predicted the Project was less than thrilled at unleashing their forces, but there wasn't much they could say in reply to a direct presidential order. Within minutes the DN Aliens were racing off to use their powers to try to turn the tide.

With a tied sigh Natasha looked up at the situation board Oracle had set up for her, taking in the current military situation. The planet was mostly red, signifying major alien attack, with only small segments of the world showing green for human controlled. But even as she watched the green zones were spreading, slowly driving away the invaders.

Just then Oracle's voice came over the intercom, "Would you like something to eat or drink? You need to take a break eventually."

Natasha got up, deciding that yes she was getting hungry. The older woman made her way up the hallway, her bodyguards following her as they kept a wary eye on the remaining alien refugees. Natasha wanted to reassure them she could take care of herself, but she could understand the worry.

In the commissary Lena Luthor was sitting at a table with her girlfriend Jessica Olsen, James's daughter, The young woman had been heartbroken, and Natasha had talked to her a bit after she arrived on the Tower. She picked up a sandwich and walked over to where they sat, smiling tiredly.

"You mind if I join you?" Natasha asked.

"Certainly, Madam..." Lena started.

"Stop that," Natasha smiled tiredly, "this isn't the time or place, considering we could all be dead in a few hours."

Jessica looked startled, "It's THAT bad?"

Lena hugged her lover gently. "I suspect Natasha is considering the worst case scenario," she said, "we either lose, or the War World tries a desperation play like crashing into the Earth."

"Pretty much," Natasha sighed. "That, and it's pretty frustrating sitting here with nothing to do."

"You and Oracle are pretty much running the planetary defence up here," Lena noted, "that's enough to do I think."

"True," Natasha smiled faintly. Tiredly she wondered if she could deputize Oracle as Minister of Defence...?

To be continued.


	47. Warworld Finale

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Warworld Finale

Cylene traded blows with Supergirl, their punches generating shock waves powerful enough to shatter computer screens and force their allies back. This was impossible! She was stronger, tougher, more powerful in every way! Why wasn't she winning?!

Her fellow children of Almerac were not fairing well either. While individually the women were more powerful than their foes, they lacked experience with their powers. Why, even the relatively weak Flash was rounding up and disabling her troops by the dozen.

Worse, Shasti's suicide attack on Captain Atom had wiped out Cylene's carefully chosen elite warriors. Instead all she had were the common ground troops and Warworld crew, and they were clearly no match for the Justice League.

"Argh!" Cylene yelped as a blow slipped by her guard, hitting her already broken nose. Blood ran down her face, her cheek bruised and her body aching.

"Got distracted," a almost equally battered Supergirl answered with a small smile.

Cylene spit blood, fighting a almost bezerk fury down as she struggled to keep control. "Damn you," she snapped, "why won't you FALL!"

"I'm fighting for my world and my home," Supergirl shrugged. She looked at Cylene as she added, "And I'm fighting for C-ko."

That name made something churn uncomfortably in Cylene's guts. "I am not that simpering child any longer," she snapped.

"Oh really?" Supergirl drawled. "Then why are you holding back against me?" she asked.

"What?" Cylene spat out.

"You ARE stronger than me, faster," Supergirl conceded, "you should be wiping the floor with me." Relentlessly she looked into Cylene's eyes as she said, "But you're not."

"I...," Cylene started, taking a step backwards.

"Somewhere in there," Supergirl followed her as she continued intensely, "is the girl B-ko and I knew. The girl who was our friend and whom we both loved. The girl who loved us back, in her own way. I'm sure of it!"

Cylene tried to break her gaze, but couldn't Her mind.. it was torn between who she was and who she had become. She was confused, disoriented... she wanted her mother's guidance, NEEDED it but...

Supergirl stepped closer and put her hands on Cylene's shoulders. "Please, stop this," she begged, "you don't want to do this. We can help you."

"No, I...," Cylene shook her head, a feeling almost like physical pain behind her eyes.

"Choose for yourself," Supergirl urged.

Cylene broke away, the churning emotions overwhelming her. "No, no, I...," she babbled. She tensed up, her powers flaring as she took off. Like a rocket she flew away, bursting through the armored skin of Warworld and streaking off into space.

"Cylene!" Supergirl moved to follow.

"No, A-ko!" B-ko barked, the armored woman bringing her up short.

Supergirl WANTED to go after Cylene, but... damn it. Her responsibility was here. "Firestorm, get that hole sealed before the air escapes," she barked out the order. "Manhunter..."

J'onn J'onzz nodded, the green skinned alien frowning. "The Almeracian forces are badly divided at this point," he noted as he telepathically scanned around the artificial world, "the warriors are holding up, but the common crew are much less willing to fight. I believe they would surrender, given the chance."

Firestorm finished sealing up the roof, then the flaming haired man asked, "Should I try dispersing lead into the air? We know it'll hurt those with Daxamite powers."

"Could kill them too," Power Woman noted dryly, the tough, blonde woman noted.

"How near as we to the command center?" A-ko asked D-ko, the android having downloaded the planet's schematics.

"We are near one of the centers," D-ko noted, "I cannot determine if it is the main one, however. There are several scattered around the globe."

"Well, worth a shot," Supergirl said as the heroes set off once more.

Meanwhile, in her command center Maxma saw things falling apart, faster and faster as reports rolled in. Her Earth side campaign was being rolled back, slowly but surely. Already much of North America, the region with the largest number of superhumans, was free, and Europe was beginning to drive her forces off too.

Her alien allies had largely cut and run at this point, other than the Khunds, who appeared to be consumed with lust for battle. Reports were pouring in that the Thangarians, Dominion, Psions and others were retreating and abandoning her people. Thankfully she hadn't been relying on them, but...

And the situation on Warworld echoed that on Earth. Her allies had made a token attempt to help defend the planet, but as Supergirl and the Justice League had advanced, they had quietly fled. With Superman it was worse, amusingly. His reputation across this section of space was such that many of her allies were terrified of him.

Maxima closed her eyes, sending out her thoughts. They were nearby, and would probably reach her command center in a few minutes. As much as it displeased her it was time to put her reserve plan into motion.

"Everyone, you must evacuate the command center," Maxima addressed the officers manning the stations in the busy chamber.

"My queen, we can still...," the young commander protested, her strawberry blond hair framing her face.

"No, it's time," Maxima said, shaking her head. "The ones who are coming here are beyond you."

"No matter what, we would fight for you," the communications officer said, her brave words marred by her shaking in fear.

Maxima smiled fondly as she addressed them, "I have never been more proud of you, but it's time." Using her mental powers she gave the girls a slight nudge, getting them going. They would go to the escape pods and leave the planet... and hopefully live.

The girls filed out obediently even as Maxima reconfigured her clothes to suitable garb. She considered wearing her armor a moment, then shook her head. No point, now. Instead she simply changed her uniform into a loose dress. The floor rumbled, and she could hear another security barrier going down. It wouldn't be long now.

The door to the command center (not to mention the surrounding walls) was innerton, one of the densest and difficult to damage materials in existence. Maxima SHOULD have been perfectly safe in her seat as the first blow hit the metal. Personally, she gave it five minutes.

Roughly four minutes later the door gave up with a screech of metal, as three superhuman's forced it inward. Superman led the way, the black haired man looking ruggedly handsome, while Wonder Woman followed, along with Mon El and, amusingly Vril Dox.

"Kal, Diana," Maxima said pleasantly from where she sat, "it's been a long time."

"You're under arrest for crimes against humanity, war crimes and anything else that comes up once we catalogue everything you've done," Superman said flatly.

"You couldn't try for at least a LITTLE originality?" Vril Dox sighed.

Maxima bit back a chuckle, despite the severity of the situation. "Vril, I apologize for turning your son against you," she said wryly, "it was necessary, but I never enjoy doing things like that."

Dox just grunted. Mon El frowned, "You will also answer for your crimes against Daxam."

"So who gets to try me first?" Maxima quipped.

Wonder Woman wondered how she could be so flippant. "Do not mock us," she warned dangerously.

Maxima looked her in the eye as she drawled, "Of course, former princess. Or did Paradise Island ever take you back?"

Dox reached out a arm, stopping Diana as he looked at Maxima thoughtfully. "You WANT us to attack you. Why?" he asked.

"Because then would at least get the pleasure of beating you senseless before I surrendered," Maxima sighed. She stood up, "I wish to confess."

"Oh?" Superman asked warily.

"I used my mental powers to influence my people into their attacks against Daxam and other worlds, including Earth. They were not responsible for their actions," Maxima told them smugly.

"Bull," Superman growled.

'She's trying to take all the blame herself, rather than her people,' Wonder Woman thought, just a bit admiringly. "You know what will happen to you?" she asked.

"Of course," Maxima agreed. With a calm sort of dignity she said, "I gambled, and in the end I lost. So I must face the consequences."

Warworld was strangely deserted as they filed out, then with a crash a section of wall came down. "Maxima! Surrender to..." Supergirl started then trailed off.

"Damn," B-ko noted, Steel looking more amused than annoyed, "too late. Looks like they beat us to the punch."

"Daddy! Mom!" Supergirl squealed as much hugging followed.

"Mon. Dox," Martian Manhunter noted with cool dignity, ignoring his younger allies fanning over the dignified older heroes.

"Good to see you," Mon El agreed as he kept a firm grip on Maxima.

"Message from Earth," B-ko noted as something came over the radio, "apparently the Almeracians are surrendering. Looks like we've won."

"The only problem is," Supergirl sighed as she released her mother from a hug, "what do we do now?"

To be continued...

Notes: My original plan was to have Maxima detonate a concealed Kryptonite/Fusion bomb and try to take the heroes with her. But after some thought I decided that was a bit too... petty of her. So instead, this.

Next chapter will probably end the series & will wrap things up.


	48. Final

Project A-ko: The New Adventures of Supergirl

Final

After Action Report to the Guardians of the Universe

Green Lantern 2814, Kyla Scott

_ I am pleased to report that the invasion force has been stopped and that the Almeracian armed forces have surrendered. Queen Maxima has taken full responsibility for her people's actions, though that itself has complicated the local situation._

_ Due to a combination of battle damage and self destruct systems activated by several loyalists, Warworld was rendered largely uninhabitable. As it previously contained the surviving population of Almerac, this posed a rather serious problem. A temporary solution has been to offload the survivors on Mars. _

J'onn J'onnz watched with satisfaction as life began again on his home world. It wasn't what he had dreamed off, in the past, but it was satsfying none the less. Many Almeracians had physical toughness that allowed them to function even in the thin air of his home, and they were salvaging scrap from Warworld to build habitats for those who didn't.

Kyla descended in a flash of green light, the Green Lantern coming to a stop beside him on the rise. "They're being nice and meek so far?" she asked dryly.

J'onn looked amused. "They have given me their parole, and so far they've been perfectly peaceful," he noted. He looked over at Kyla, "Has A-ko found Princess Cylene?"

Kyla made a face, "No, not yet. Or at least she hasn't reported to Oracle that she has."

"It's only been two weeks," J'onn noted, "and it is a very, very large search area."

"Could you try a telepathic scan?" Kyla asked hopefully. "I tried a ring search, but there's just too much free energy churning around the solar system."

J'onn shook his head, "She's too skilled at shielding her thoughts. Even as upset as she is, she's able to block me."

"We mobilized the Justice League shuttles at first, but we need as much of the team available to help with reconstruction efforts," Kyla admitted with a sigh.

J'onn nodded understandingly. "You are going to be contacting the Guardians?" he asked curiously.

"I am," Kyla agreed, "I'm putting together my first report now."

"If you could I would appreciate you requesting that they assign a second Green Lantern to our sector," J'onn said. He nodded towards the domes and flying people, "The Almeracians seem interested in actually settling here, and the planet is quite terraformable. If they do stay, we'll have two planets full of superhuman in your sector..."

"Point taken," Kyla agreed, "I was going to put the request to them, too." She smiled wryly, "Adding your request will probably help. The Guardians respect you."

"Thank you," J'onn said, "I think."

After Action Report to the Guardians of the Universe

Green Lantern 2814, Kyla Scott

_ Damage reports have mostly been tabulated, and there will be decades of rebuilding on Earth. Several world capitals are gone, and there was a massive surge of hatred over who they saw as responsible. Superman and Wonder Woman have done a lot to calm the rage, as well as assisting in rebuilding efforts._

_ And Corps assistance would be deeply appreciated. I and the Justice League are doing all we can, but there is a massive amount of works to do. One of my priorities has been in containing and removing alien technology, so that it won't disrupt things any more on Earth. _

"I am not happy about this," Amanda Waller complained as her Task Force X teams cooperated with DEO and other organizations to gather alien weapons to be collected by the JLA and Green Lantern.

"You wanna keep them?" Cameron Chase asked, the slightly younger woman carrying equipment to the waiting pile.

"Hell yes," Amanda growled.

"Then you can argue with President Irons," Chase said with a smirk. THAT shut Amanda up while they supervised their troops.

Some of the gear they were collecting was left overs from the attempted villain uprising that happened right after the aliens put down their arms. That came to a sputtering halt as soon as word came that Superman was alive and well. There were very few supervillains who would challenge Superman, ESPECIALLY a Superman furious over his friend Jimmy Olsen's death.

"Any news on where Lex Luthor is hiding?" Cameron had to ask.

Amanda sighed, "No idea. None of my snitches are talking, and there are zero credible rumors coming out of the underworld. As far as anyone can tell, he's just disappeared."

After Action Report to the Guardians of the Universe

Green Lantern 2814, Kyla Scott

_ The Maxima situation is especially complex. The alien Queen has claimned that she used mind control to 'force' her people to wage war. How true this is is arguable, but her taking sole responsibility is shielding her people from the wrath of the people of Earth. Sadly, that wrath is now focused on HER. I urge you to send a representative to observe her eventual trial. _

Supergirl paused at the edge of the solar system. Except for a oxygen system she was simply dressed in her costume, the red and blues clinging to her body. She was near Pluto orbit, remembering how several past alien warlords has set up outposts here. She swept the region with her super senses, then grunted in satisfaction when she found the ship, hanging in the void.

Cape fluttering around her she reached the airlock, mildly surprised to find it unlocked. Supergirl stepped inside and let the chamber pressurize, then opened the inner door. Within was a larger inner chamber. The central body of the ship was a multipurpose sciences set up, with a control room off to one and and presumably a bedroom off the other doors.

Cylene emerged from the control room, the tall blond looking tired. Her 'battle costume' was replaced by a robe, and her expression was a mix of sad and annoyed. "I almost expected you a week ago," she noted flatly.

"I've been a bit busy," A-ko said dryly. "Hello, C-k..." she stopped herself and corrected, "Cylene. Are you all right?"

"Thank you," Cylene sighed, "and honestly, I don't know."

Supergirl wanted to go over and hold her, but she wasn't sure how she might react. "What happened?" she asked instead.

"You," Cylene aid with a sigh. As Supergirl looked confused she added, "When I was... rescued by the Almeracians, my mother Maxima activated my DNA potential and trained me."

"More like abducted," Supergirl muttered.

"You say tomato, I say to-MA-to," Cylene smiled wryly. "Anyway, I hadn't realized how much she... influenced me, until our battle."

"I'm sorry," A-ko said honestly, having heard stories from her parents about how confusing brainwashing could be.

"Anyway, I'm... fairly confused right now," Cylene admitted, "I've been out here trying to get my head together."

"We could use your help," Supergirl said. As Cylene looked at her curiously she added, "The Almeracians are on Mars, for now, but things are pretty chaotic. They could use a leader."

What Supergirl really wanted to do was hold Cyl;ene in her arms and promise the girl no one would hurt her again. Sadly, that was pretty unlikely. Cylene seemed to pick up on that, a smile pulling at her lips slightly.

Instead Cylene simply said, "All right, let's go."

After Action Report to the Guardians of the Universe

Green Lantern 2814, Kyla Scott

_ The alien captives of the Almeracians have left the system, along with the retreating allies of the Almeracians. I have sent a warning out to Green Lanterns along their projected courses, just in case of banditry by the defeated militaries. Mon-El will also be shadowing them, along with the Omega Men. _

_ The New Gods that were held captive have simply... disintigrated, crumbling to dust on their own. MY ring scans were inconclusive, but Superman theorizes that they simply abandonred these bodies and returned to their home world. As he's had some experience with these beings, I'm inclined to take his word for it. _

Kestrel smiled slightly as she saw the silver armored figure zip across the sky, then descend to where she was standing. "About time you got here," she teased, pulling back her cowl.

B-ko smiled back warmly, unhooking her clear faceplate then kissing her lover hello. "I've missed this," she agreed, chuckling.

"We've both been busy," Helena Wayne smiled as they headed into the apartment she had moved into with B-ko. Both woman had seen the devestation the world suffered in the invasion, and decided there was no reason to delay any more.

"Sorry I had to spend a few days in Metropolis," B-ko apologized. Both women were heavily involved in rebuilding efforts, with B-ko working with her mother Lena Luthor in Metropolis.

"Bruce has been keeping me busy too," Helena made a face, "I think he's grooming me to take over Wayne Enterprises."

"You don't want the job?" B-ko asked curiously.

"It is a big responsibility," Helena noted. They went inside the opulent living room, "Heard from Supergirl yet?"

"She's on Mars with Cylene," B-ko said, her mixed emotions evident in her voice. Once upon a time she had had feelings for the sweet blond, though admittedly those had faded over time. Still, it had to feel odd...

"I'll check in with Oracle, then we'll take the night off," Helena changed the subject.

They activated the communications device they had built into the wall. "Ugh..." they heard.

"Huh?" B-ko blinked.

"Sorry," a oddly breathless Oracle managed. "Uhm, is there a emergency? Because I'm kind of busy right now."

"Busy?" a bemused Helena echoed.

Another familiar voice came on. "Your timing actually sucks, you know that?" a annoyed sounding Kyla noted.

Helena and B-ko instantly realized exactly what they had interrupted. Fighting back a laugh B-ko said, "NO emergency, sorry. We just wanted to warn you we were going off the grid for a while..."

"Probably doing what we're doing," Oracle noted, laughing softly too. "Have fun."

Helena shut down the communicator then smiled at B-ko. "Now, where were we...?"

End

Notes: Wrapping things up. Sorry about not having scenes with everybody, but I wanted to at least touch on all the core cast. (Yes I skipped Flash and Firestorm. BLEH.) Mostly because I couldn't figure a organic way to slip them in.


End file.
